Mondim de Basto Civil Protection warns against fires and Asian wasps in villages

The Civil Protection of Mondim de Basto is traveling through the villages of the municipality to raise awareness about the prevention of forest fires, the immediate signaling of Asian wasp nests and to identify walls or roofs at risk.

The mayor of Mondim de Basto, Bruno Ferreira, said this Monday that the objective of the “Civil Protection + Next” campaign, which runs during the month of March, is proximity to communities.

The technicians dedicate a day to each of the six parishes in the municipality, and, in each of them, they visit all the villages, distributing flyers, giving information and providing clarifications.

In direct contact with the people, topics aimed at the protection and security of villages and their residents will be addressed, such as cleaning the land around buildings, burning and burning only with prior registration and on days with favorable conditions. appropriate weather conditions.

A message that, according to Ricardo Anjos, municipal coordinator of Civil Protection, intensifies in this phase that precedes the most critical period for forest fires to occur.

“Being a forestry municipality, fighting fires begins with prevention”, highlighted Bruno Ferreira.

In one of these actions, in the village of Bilhó, some people expressed concern about the cleaning of the land and also about the spread of the Asian wasp, as its impact has been felt on honey production in this municipality in the district of Vila Real.

Joaquim Pires, 76 years old, complained about the “few strength” to clean the land, while António Teixeira, 75 years old, warned that the “possessions are not many to do” the work.

In front of António’s house, a plot of land full of brambles is a source of concern because of fires, but also because of the “bugs” that hide there.

Lurdes Pires, 69 years old, already knows that to start a fire or burn you need to keep a record, choose a day without wind, have water in case the “fire escapes” and always be nearby “as long as it doesn’t burn everything”.

In 2023, 4,500 fires and fires were recorded in the municipality.

Bruno Ferreira also listed the investment in forest access, the cleaning of combustion areas and, to reduce the number of ignitions, the Municipal Civil Protection service and wasteland units are carrying out extensive burning for management, compartmentalizing the landscape, in areas associated with grazing.

“Shepherds indicate areas where they graze their animals, essentially in the mountain areas of the municipality and we, using the controlled fire technique, are renewing these areas so that they can have better pasture and so that they can direct grazing to these areas” , explained Ricardo Anjos.

As for the Asian wasp, the popular Joaquim Pires said that “it is a pest that appeared there” and said that this species destroyed the only hive he had.

Technicians make people aware of the immediate reporting of nests seen.

“The faster they identify, the faster we can intervene. Last year we eliminated more than 400 nests”, said Bruno Ferreira.

The mayor said that, last summer, when returning to the villages, the emigrants found nests inside their own homes.

“This species is proliferating everywhere and in increasingly difficult and difficult-to-access places,” he said.

This passage through villages also allows technicians to identify situations, such as, for example, walls or roofs at risk of falling onto public roads.

Situations that, according to Ricardo Anjos, are “a lot found in these villages because of old buildings”.

“We are more informed about everything, it is important to come”, said Olindina Pires, 67 years old, also resident in Bilhó.