“If the authorities managed to remove all that timber, I would feel much calmer because it is a huge amount of fuel for fires. Here on my property, I am trying to remove as much as I can.”
79-year-old retiree Manuel Calhanas is doing just what Portugal's Minister for Internal Administration has asked of citizens: "do your part" ahead of a "terrible summer".
Devastating wildfires gripped Portugal in 2025, when more than a quarter of a million hectares of land burned.
With fears that this year could be even worse, Portugal has mounted an intensive nationwide operation to clear fallen trees and dry leaves - the tinder that wildfires thrive on.
Citizens are being asked to clear the land around their homes - known to be one of the most effective ways of saving lives - as well as flagging up blocked roads to authorities as these could prevent emergency services from getting to them.
