Fire?

dutchie · Post by **dutchie** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 6:48 pm

clear skies here, but reading all this makes me very sad. I can't hardly believe all this is true. On the other side I also see that European money has been used for new roads. Compared to 10 years ago things havereally changed around here. Or am I mistaken?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 6:49 pm

No not for ME...I'm having a great time .but then I don't work anymore I just play...but I do honestly feel very sorry for the working family here...
Its a constant battle with all the red tape when that energy should be allowed to generate self prosperity...
Right Im off down town for another wonderul meal...

cowboy · Post by **cowboy** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 7:38 pm

Don't forget to tip.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 9:24 pm

Yup...I'm back...Big Tip as always ..just the best food in the World....( Try France....20 years of touring France...I think I had one good meal....Belgium is good and Holland..not bad..good for Indonesian food...SORRY..Off the subject ..again )....not many Fogos tonight only one big one I could see North of Faro.....so I'm very happy right now...but I have had a lot of Vino.....AAAhhh...I love this place./

JUDGE · Post by **JUDGE** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 9:28 pm

The latest, my dear guest, is that tonight there are over FOURHUNDRED firefighters from 80 different corpses approx. 60 vehicles, 4 planes and 5 helis trying desperately to control the fire between loule and the spanish border.
I went today over the via infante from Lagoa to Tavira and from Loule onwards it was like late evening. Absolutely Terrible !!!!
But EURO 2004 had 10 new stadiums !!!!!!!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 9:37 pm

You are very upset I see....!! What I would like to understand a little is the reason for these fires....Can it really be true that some of these fires are intentional.....whats it all about Alfie ????...as a person that has lost absolutely everything in a house fire some years ago...ie.walked away with only one shoe...lost the other in the mud....I know a lot about this.Try telling the kids that all their toys and the bedroom are gone ..gone ..gone.....and cannot beleive / dont want to believe that somebody actually did this on purpose...

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 9:44 pm

wHATS A CORPSES....??? iS THAT LIKE A cOUNTY OR what /

judge · Post by **judge** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 10:03 pm

over 80 percent of these fires are of human nature...

politics , greed , fun , loving to see the fire brigades going out.

Fact is that many times the real culprits use mentally retarded persons to light these fires offering them a few euros to do so and sit back and watch.
Another way is to throw firebombs from little aircrafts in the hope they can buy the burned down trees afterwards cheaply for making charcoal..
However previous government stopped trading burned out land after fires
for cheap rates, so that should help something. didn`t show though this year.

However , euro 2004 put portugal back on the map !!!!!!!
( map of overrated and burned down holiday place )

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 9:55 am

It is a sad reflection that many of these fires are instigated by man....but I must take issue with Judge who blurpes out unsubstantiated statements like 'people throw fire bombs out of aircraft'....This is complete rubbish and stems from a story last year when a local resident claimed they had seen a small plane going round and round and throwing out something like a fire bomb.....well actually was a Cessna 152 at that time flown by a UK flight instructor who was reporting these outbreaks back to Faro....to get a 'Fix' one has to do a couple of orbits and enter ones GPS position and relay this back to the Tower...who then follow up with the Fire Dept......It is very very unlikely that a trained pilot is going to carry hazardous material (Illegal in itself) on board a small plane....risk his / her license whilst paying 150 Euro/hour to hire the plane...to satisfy a mental problem they might have (Pilot annual medicals are very strict)....So please Mr. Judge don't re-Kindle this old and untrue claim.....

petermeachem · Post by **petermeachem** » Sat Jul 31, 2004 9:50 am

What a negative lot you are.
We just got back to the UK last night. Whilst we didn't see any fires, we did see a lot of firetrucks on the roads, and a canadair aircraft picking up water from St Clara presumably to dump on Monchique.
If you read the link on forest fires, you will see that the firemen actually have to fight the fire by damping down just in front of it and clearing firebreaks. I don't think it is a just a case of dumping water from a lot of planes. The americans have huge forest fires which they just can't control, and they have plenty of cash. Also remember that many of the fire areas are very difficult to access. We saw big Mercedes Unimog 4 wheel drive trucks ( which were not around last year) which could get most anywhere, but only carry a small amount of water.
I think the firemen do a fantastic job. I suppose you could always do with more firemen, but then you could also do with more of all sorts of other jobs.
The weekend when the fires started was very hot (44C!) which didn't help.
The Portuguese farmers round our way are very aware of fires and an awful lot of the undergrowth has been cleared. One guy came round with his tractor and cleared about an acre of brambles for us because of the fire risk and we spent a considerable amount of time with a brush cutter clearing round the house. Everything looks much drier than last year. Our land is covered in bone dry grass and the whole valley would go up with just one carelessly dropped match.

So, I don't think this a problem which can be solved merely by chucking money at it or by whinging. What is it with this English obsession of thinking that everything can be fixed with money?

dutchie · Post by **dutchie** » Sat Jul 31, 2004 11:17 am

bravo! I agreed with you.

cowboy · Post by **cowboy** » Sat Jul 31, 2004 3:20 pm

Well said, Peter.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jul 31, 2004 4:43 pm

I don't think it is an English obsession that people think everything can be fixed with money - I think the majority of people are p****d off with seeing their taxes wasted on paying ever multiplying petty bureaucrats who don't have an ounce of common sense telling everyone else there have to be cutbacks.

Ellie · Post by **Ellie** » Sat Jul 31, 2004 4:54 pm

Peter..of course everything cannot be fixed my money alone--but can you tell me please -as someone resident and closer to the scene--
are the firefighter better equipped..I dont mean just with appliances and other gear butI mean their 'uniforms'?
The pics of last summer showed those brave guys totally without proper protection gear--just fabric and not waterproof jackets and ordinary leather boots -not proper fire boots!-those pictures made me weep!
I would like to see those guys(and girls dont forget) at least having proper gear--that takes money-but is it happening?
You know I was married to Fireofficer for nearly 24 years and nearly lost him twice--once trapped in a terrifying city fire..with oxygen going and no means of escape-
another time in a huge explosion where he was lifted bodily across a huge warehouse...
and then invalided out after a very bad fall from rooftop---
To my mind (and I cannot be dispassionate about this sorry) they should have all they need without having to rely on charity and handouts.
But of course it isnt just money--you need professionalism and leadership -proper training--
is this happening?
when we visited Lagoa Bombeiros last September--the subofficer lady told us Lagoa firemen were not involved--that it was only the villages doing it (Monchique etc)--
H was shocked at hearing this-
can you answer my questions at all Peter please?
and Ihope all is well with you--seems you have very good neighbours-thats worth a great deal

petermeachem · Post by **petermeachem** » Sat Jul 31, 2004 7:19 pm

Nope, I don't know a great deal about firemen's uniforms. Obviously you do. The ones I saw looked like they were wearing firemens outfits, can't add anything to that.

I might remind you that the UK lifeboatmen are, as far as I know, entirely self-supporting and raise every penny themselves. http://www.rnli.org.uk/Home.asp

I found this http://www.zki.caf.dlr.de/portugal_fore ... 01_en.html

As to our guest, complaining here isn't going to do a damn thing. What you want to do is to get yourself elected to your local council or parliament, or get yourself a civil service job. Then you can change the ways things happen.

Also, you need to be very careful looking up about firemen's uniforms on Google. You find some very strange things. I'm surprised the firemen have the strength left to fight a fire.