Country struggles as wildfire blazes through thousands of acres: 'We are doing what we have to'

A wildfire burned over 12,000 acres on Portugal's Madeira Island this summer. The blaze charred over 6% of the island in just one week.

What's happening

The island has abundant vegetation, including beautiful flowers that normally thrive in its subtropical climate. Madeira won the World's Leading Island Destination award last year in the World Travel Awards for the ninth consecutive time. Portugal's popular tourist destination has about 250,000 residents. 

Our warming world hasn't spared this usually idyllic archipelago in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. A study published in the journal Agronomy estimates an overall average temperature rise of 2.52 to 6.66 degrees and a decrease in precipitation by 30-40% by 2070. Warm and dry conditions this summer, combined with gusty winds, helped fuel their recent wildfires.

The European Commission deployed two rescEU firefighting Canadair planes to help extinguish the fires. The Copernicus Climate Change Service activated its emergency satellite system to provide maps of the region to those fighting the fires.  

After nearly two weeks, authorities on the island said firefighters had finally brought the large forest fire under control.

"It's essential to tone down the alarmist rhetoric at the moment. The situation is safe, and we are doing what we have to do," said Miguel Albuquerque, regional government chief, per Reuters.

Why are wildfires in Portugal important?

Madeira's worst year for wildfires was 2016. In Funchal, Madeira's largest city, 12 square miles were burned by fires in just five days. Funchal's fire killed three people and forced more than 1,000 to evacuate. A heat wave in August of that year was one of the causes of the catastrophic fires.

"A vicious cycle of climate change, wildfires, and air pollution is having a spiralling negative impact on human health, ecosystems, and agriculture," according to a recent report from the World Meteorological Organization.

The WMO says the causes of wildfires include land management and human activity, but climate change plays a role by increasing the severity and frequency of heat waves. 

What's being done about wildfires?

The National Weather Service is testing an innovative system that could help change how wildfire warnings are issued to the public. A new AI-powered platform is helping electric companies reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires.

While these initiatives are helpful, our overheating planet will need much more to significantly reduce the risk of wildfires.

Ditching dirty energy and adopting renewable energy sources to reduce heat-trapping gases in our atmosphere is crucial. Signing up for community solar programs can help reduce your pollution footprint, and investing in companies that support a cooler, cleaner future is another way to help.

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.