Young volunteers back on wildfire watch in Loulé

Just days after a major wildfire broke out in the municipality, Loulé has launched another edition of its long-running youth forest patrol programme, with 80 young volunteers helping monitor rural areas throughout the summer.

The 19th edition of the Municipal Civil Protection Service’s Youth Volunteering – Forest Surveillance programme got underway on Monday (June 29) and will run throughout July and August in the parishes of Alte, Ameixial, Salir, Querença, Tôr and Benafim.

Open to young people aged between 12 and 17, the initiative sees participants divided into eight teams of 10 volunteers, each accompanied by a supervisor. The groups will patrol forest areas on alternate days over two-week periods, walking through rural landscapes while helping detect signs of wildfire and raising awareness among local residents.

The programme aims to educate participants about wildfire prevention, environmental protection and the importance of preserving the municipality’s natural heritage, while encouraging teamwork and outdoor activity.

At the end of each two-week programme, participants will visit the Advanced Civil Protection Unit at Vale Maria Dias, where they will meet the GNR’s mounted patrol unit, municipal forest intervention teams and forest firefighters, gaining first-hand experience of the equipment and resources used during the fire season.

Loulé Municipal Council also recently renewed its summer forest surveillance partnership with the Portuguese Army, reinforcing patrols across the municipality during the period of highest wildfire risk.

Michael Bruxo

Journalist for the Portugal Resident.