# Rural Fires--Causes of Human Losses in the 2017 Fires in Portugal
## 2 Change in the Paradigm of Rural Fires in Portugal  
As previously mentioned, climatic conditions related to the environment and the meteorology have proved to be of great importance in the development of fire and its propagation. Under certain optimal weather conditions, the probability of massive rural fires increases significantly, as in the case of Pedroga Grande in 2017 in Portugal [8]. Extreme meteorological phenomena appear with increasing frequency, giving rise to this type of fire. It is known to be severe and complex, capable of reaching a very large size and high intensity, causing major environmental and socio-economic impacts. According to the legislation of the Portuguese government in Ordinance n. 301/2020 of 24 December, it was recognised that the divestment in forestry has contributed to the emergence of a monocultural landscape with a high fuel load and fire risk potential, and \"when in the presence of severe meteorological episodes, this situation has resulted in large fires, devastating extensive forest and agricultural areas, infrastructure and heritage and putting human life at risk. These episodes, in turn, feed the vicious circle of abandonment, with consequences in terms of ecosystem degradation and the social and economic vulnerability of these territories.\" [9]. It is assumed that the policies implemented so far have not been enough and that populations are increasingly vulnerable to both the social and economic aspects. Additionally, Portugal is also characterised by dispersed urban agglomerations, mainly in the countryside. Thus, it is essential that rural fire risk assessments consider not only hazard and exposure but also social vulnerability [4]. Dispersed urban agglomeration is synonymous with small villages of compact construction that are isolated in the landscape. Especially in the north and centre of Portugal, there are other types of villages, called \"Avulso\" and \"Espraiado\" settlements, that also contributed to this dispersed urban agglomeration. \"Espraiado\" settlements are briefly characterised by being consolidated in a network of rural paths spread out in all directions and are also characterised by having a vegetable garden or farm at the back, while \"Avulso\" settlements are characteristically off-centre, presenting as loose buildings on a rural matrix; many of them are used as second homes, without permanent occupation [10]. In rural areas, despite the high exposure to risk, residents are used to living with rural fires and, over the years, have developed ways to protect themselves against this danger. The villages are protected by surrounding natural containment strips (agricultural fields), and in case of fire, the active population comes together to protect the distressed housing. However, with the abandonment of agricultural practices and the exodus of younger people to urban areas, this natural protection is decreasing and the inhabitants who remain do not have the physical capacity to face the fires. Quite often, the abandoned agricultural areas are replaced by trees, bringing the forest closer to their houses. In the scope of rural fire risk, the affected people are generally in rural areas, but recent cases have shown that this is not always the case, and fires are increasingly taking on such a dimension that they cross borders, going into urban areas as well. In 2005, a fire devastated the outskirts of Coimbra, even going into the urban area due to spotting. The fire started on 19 August in Vila Nova de Poaires, but it was a re-ignition that gave rise to a new fire, which, covering several kilometres, entered the city of Coimbra on 21 August. Ten years earlier, in August 1995, a similar event also affected the same city, causing damage to an apartment and several vehicles. These events highlight a change in the exposure of populations to danger, as fire is no longer just a problem in rural areas but also in some urban areas, where this risk has not yet been considered.