The Summer wildfires of 2017 in Portugal were particularly devastating, destructive and deadly… Every year there’s a wildfire season that goes through the hottest and driest months, has been a chronic issue for decades, specially in the central regions of the country. Having my family roots from one of those regions it’s something very close and very present to me, also because in 15 years my house was almost surrounded by the flames twice.
From other year’s fires, specially in the big ones of 2003, my strongest memories besides the immediate destruction were the weeks and moths after. Winter by nature is a season where almost everything is suspended, where nothing grows, but in this case it happens to a region where almost everything is on hold and waiting for renovation and for things to bloom again.
Last year, after Summer months, I spent some time roaming the forests and villages around Castanheira de Pêra, Figueiró dos Vinhos, Oleiros, Pampilhosa da Serra, Pedrogão Grande and Sertã, going after that long wait for Spring…
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