President Marcelo Promises Madeira Visit After Wildfires, But No Date Set

The President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, has promised to visit the Madeira region following recent wildfires that ravaged the island, according to the Republic’s representative for the Autonomous Region of Madeira, Ireneu Barreto. While Barreto confirmed the President’s commitment, he emphasized that no date has been set for the visit. The wildfires, which ignited on August 14th, burned over 5,045 hectares of land across several municipalities before being extinguished after 13 days. Authorities had evacuated nearly 200 residents as a precaution, with many returning home after the fires were contained. Despite the extensive damage, no injuries or destruction of essential infrastructure were reported. The cause of the fires is currently under investigation by the Judicial Police, with the regional executive president, Miguel Albuquerque, alleging that the fires were deliberately set.