Forest fires in continental PortugalResult of profound alterations in society and territorial consequences

The socioeconomic transformations that occurred in Portuguese society during the second half of the last century have led to a profound change in its age structure, with important repercussions in terms of sectors of activity. This in turn has led to a drastic reduction of workers in the primary sector, due to the rural exodus, a consequence of which was the abandonment of many agricultural areas and their transformation into forested areas.In turn, the abandonment of the agricultural-forestry-pastoral activity led to an accumulation of large amounts of fuel in the forest which, when weather conditions are favorable, feed forest fires.With the accelerated abandonment of farming activities-conditions conducive to the development of natural areas-, and with disinvestment in forests, forest fires have been growing increasingly bigger and there seems to have been little success in countering this terrible scourge that is wiping out greater space suitable for forestry.