Valdemar Alves, the mayor of Pedrógão Grande has been made an official defendant in the case relating to the deadly fires of June 17th, 2017, as he was responsible for civil protection and ensuing scrubland and trees were cleared.
In September 2018, the Prosecutor's Office in Leiria listed twelve defendants subsequent to the Pedrógão Grande fire.
At that time, the mayor of Castanheira de Pera, Fernando Lopes, was accused of ten cases of negligent homicide and one count of negligence. The mayor of Figueiró dos Vinhos, Jorge Abreu, was charged with two counts of negligent homicide and one offence of negligence.
Local and district civil protection officials and two EDP staff, are accused of 63 cases of negligent homicide and 44 crimes of negligence following the fire.
Failures in the coordination of the response to the fire and in the fire fighting procedures have been logged, as well as the delay in mobilising resources to the area, which is why three members of the Civil Protection service have been made suspects.
Comments
It has taken this case to highlight the importance of the clearing of scrubland. In my own rural parish, improvements have been made, but as and when the fire comes, it will inevitably be alleged that not enough was done.
The government is anxious to point the finger of blame, but who takes responsibility for the collapse of the SIRESP system, which was meant to aid in the avoidance of this type of accident? If SIRESP had worked as advertised, these cases would probably never have occurred.