On 17 June 2017, one of the most dramatic and destructive wildfires in Portugal’s History started, formed by a complex of at least five wildfires that merged together burning more than 45,000 hectares. In its aftermath, 66 persons lost their lives, most of them trying to run away from the fire, more than 250 were injured, and over 1000 structures (including 263 residential homes) were damaged or destroyed, with direct losses estimated at around 200 million euros. Shortly after the fire was extinguished, and as part of a larger analysis, the authors performed exhaustive field work to assess the fire impact on all manmade structures in the area of the Pedrógão Grande fire. A specific geodatabase was built, accounting for an extensive set of parameters aimed at characterizing: (i) The structure, (ii) the surroundings of the structure, and (iii) the arrival and impact of the fire. A total of 1043 structures were considered for the analysis, mostly support structures, like sheds or storage (38.6%), but also around 25% of dwellings (13.3% primary and 11.9% secondary). Regarding the ignitions, more than 60% of the structures were ignited due to the deposition of firebrands in different weak points. In addition, more than 60% of these ignitions occurred on the roofs, mainly because of the vulnerability associated with the structures and materials supporting them. Despite these results, and from what we observed on the structures that were not destroyed, we still consider that for the Portuguese reality houses are a good refuge, providing that they and their surroundings are managed and kept in good conditions.

In this paper, the problem related with a fire front propagating laterally on a slope with a nearby canyon is presented. The presence of the canyon can modify the intensity of the fire and create a difficult situation for elements involved in fire suppression. When a fire propagating laterally in a slope enters the canyon, a rapid increase in the fire's rate of spread occurs and a strong convective activity is generated due to the burning inside the canyon. The convective flow generated will then induce a change in the propagation of the fire in the slope. In certain conditions the rate of spread and the intensity of the fire will be strongly increased. This type of extreme fire behavior is referred to as eruptive fire behavior (or blow-up), and usually happens over slopes or in canyon configurations. In this study, we analyzed the results of laboratory-scale experiments that model a fire spreading latterly over a slope and then enter a canyon that is embedded in the slope. Three configuration parameters were used in the experiments. The first is the inclination α of the slope, the second is the orientation γ of the axis of the canyon and the third is the angle β of the ignition line. The fire spread is very complex and dynamic resulting in situations in which very high values of the ROS can be reached for several configurations, creating dangerous situations for firefighters.

The development and well-being of industrialised societies require constant coexistence with hazardous materials. These can be found in different physical states, under very different conditions of pressure and temperature, stored inside industrial units and commercial spaces with different characteristics, in the most varied conventional means of communication or in transport conduits deployed throughout the territory, greatly contributing to the territorial dispersion of these substances. This study focused on Mortágua Municipality, which is in the Central Region of Portugal. To develop this work, the authors analysed the infrastructures that support the transport of dangerous substances, the types of dangerous substances that circulate and how frequently they are transported. Then, the Aloha software was used to simulate the occurrence of an accident in each infrastructure, motivating three different analyses: the propagation of a toxic cloud, a flammable cloud and thermal radiation caused by a boiling liquid expanding vapour explosion or jet fire. The results obtained show a lack of information on some of the types of transport for these dangerous substances, and when these data exist, they are not properly handled. However, it can be concluded that if an accident occurs in the presented municipality, the socio-economic losses will be very high.

The present work is an analysis of the wildfire that occurred in Tabuaço (Portugal). This wildfire developed in a complex topography and under extreme meteorological conditions. The wind was one of the most difficult factors because it increased the rate of spread of the fire front and increased the number of spot fires in front of the head fire. This kind of situation is very often a source of incidents or accidents. Additionally, the fire progressed in zones where the wildland–urban interface was practically non-existent, but also in the areas where the existence of settlements gave rise to critical points, related to the necessity to protect people and property. The suppression manoeuvres of the fire of Tabuaço were carried out in a way that led to a high level of safety, without victims or serious injuries recorded, and so they can be considered an example of a wildfire fighting approach. The use of fire to fight a fire is an important technique when it is well applied. An analysis of the existing conditions, such as geographic characteristics, meteorological situation, topography, fuels and infrastructures of defence against forest fires and fire development and behaviour, are described and analysed in a detailed way.

The fire complex that began on 17/6/2017, in Central Portugal, will be for always remembered, not only because of the extensive burned area, but mainly because it caused 65 deaths, more than 200 injured and destroyed hundreds of structures, making it one of the most serious accidents in the country, and one of the worst in Europe. The Forest Fire Research Centre of ADAI (University of Coimbra, PT) performed a detailed analysis and report on this fire complex focused on aspects related to the fire spread and behaviour, the mortal accidents and the fire impact on local communities. The work presented here is related to the latter, i.e., the destruction of property. The greatest impact was observed in the municipalities of Pedrógão Grande, Castanheira de Pera and Figueiró dos Vinhos, where the deaths occurred and where most of the damaged structures were located. This component of structural damage was the subject of an intensive fieldwork, during which we inventoried several aspects related to fire behavior, the structures and their surroundings. During the field work, 1043 structures damaged by fire were identified. They are mostly support structures, such as barracks or storage (38.6%), but there is a considerable number of damaged dwellings, either permanent (13.3%) or temporary (11.9%). One of the most important aspects of the study relates to the type and location of structural ignition. More than 60% of the structures have been ignited due to the deposition of incandescent particles (firebrands) in different weak points. Likewise, more than 60% of these ignitions occurred on the roofs, mainly because of the vulnerability associated to the structures and materials supporting them. Another relevant factor is the observation of the advanced age of most buildings affected (over 30 years), which may indicate less resistance to the passage of a fire. Nevertheless, and for the Portuguese reality, we can say that buildings are generally safe during the passage of a fire, if themselves and their surroundings are kept in good conditions. The fact that there are people inside can be essential in their defense and resistance to the passage of fire. This paper presents the main results of the assessment of the fire impact on structures, part of a larger work on the Fire Complex of Pedrógão Grande and neighboring municipalities.