Several entities gathered this Thursday morning to plant 500 more trees in a protected area of ​​Serra da Cabreira, in Vieira do Minho, which was severely affected by the fires of October 15 last year.

Despite the heavy rain, Mayor Antonio António Cardoso, accompanied by firefighters, Civil Protection, GNR, elements of the Institute of Nature Conservation and Forest, scouts and local associations, put their hands to work to alert the need of citizens “adopt a culture of prevention.”

“We must all be involved in this action to preserve Serra da Cabreira.” The plantation of 500 more trees is a symbolic act, but expressive for what we want in terms of the planning of this area, “said the mayor, stressing that the forest is” the main factor of development of the county, associated with tourism “.

Currently, with a team of forest saplers, António Cardoso expects to arrive in the summer with three more teams, which can help in the prevention of fires. Last year, in the fires that began on October 15, Vieira do Minho was the municipality of the district of Braga with more arson, about 1700 hectares. In all, a quarter of the Cabreira Mountain Range was consumed by the flames.

Marking the Civil Protection Day – with delay, given that it is celebrated on March 1 -, the Autarchy also made this afternoon a demonstration of the means at its disposal, where representatives of Civil Protection entities and agents in the Commission Municipal.