Portuguese government provides tractors to Médio Tejo municipalities for fire prevention

The Portuguese government has delivered tractors to six municipalities in the Médio Tejo region to enhance fuel management and forest fire prevention. The equipment was distributed to Constância, Ourém, Sardoal, Tomar, Torres Novas, and Vila Nova da Barquinha through protocols established with the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF).

The tractors are intended for clearing, cleaning, and maintaining priority fuel management strips along municipal roads, paths, and forest tracks, as well as protecting isolated villages and infrastructure. Under the agreement, each municipality has committed to intervening in at least 80 kilometers of paths or 80 hectares of fuel management strips annually.

Secretary of State for Forests, Rui Ladeira, emphasized the importance of permanent territory management, noting that the equipment allows for ongoing maintenance rather than one-off actions. Manuel Mourato, Mayor of Vila Nova da Barquinha, described the machinery as an essential tool for increasing municipal autonomy in wildfire risk prevention, particularly following damage caused by Storm Kristin.