Government of Madeira invests 8.4 million in fire prevention

A infrastructure of access and security in the high areas of Funchal, an investment of 8.4 million euros, aiming to strengthen fire prevention and combat, advances in early 2027, announced today the Government of Madeira.

The “contract between the Barrier Way and the Old Curral will be able to advance on the ground in early 2027 and will reinforce the prevention and the fight against fires, directly benefiting about a thousand families”, says the note released by the Regional Secretariat of Equipment and Infrastructure of the Government of Madeira.

This competition aimed at the section between Caminho da Barreira and Corral Velho was launched in July and “integrates the strategy of the Regional Government of Madeira to strengthen the safety of populations and improve the conditions for preventing and combating forest fires”, reads the same information.

It complements that with this project, the Madeiran executive intends to provide the high areas of Santo António, often affected by storms and fires of “better access and security infrastructure, creating conditions for a faster and more effective response of emergency means and strengthening the protection of populations, housing and forest”.

In the statement, it also indicates that four proposals were presented, namely from the companies José Avelino Pinto – Construction and Engineering, S.A., together with RIM – Engineering and Construction, S.A., Tecnovia Madeira – Sociedade de Empreitadas, S.A., Socicorreia – Engenharia, S.A. and AFAVIAS – Engineering and Construction, S.A. with values ranging between 8.2 and 8.8ME.

This road will have 1.8 kilometers and will benefit about a thousand families living there, predicting the project “the creation of road accesses in the upper areas of the parish of Santo António, Funchal, with the aim of facilitating circulation and ensuring better accessibility and safety conditions, in particular in relief and forest fire fighting operations”.

It will also improve access to civil protection facilities in this area of Funchal and will have the role of a fireway because it includes “infrastructures to support firefighting operations”, says the regional executive.

According to the same statement, this project “includes a fire network and a water reservoir with capacity for 1,250 cubic meters, as well as fire hydrants distributed along the route, with intervals of approximately 120 meters”.

“The project is part of the Regional Government’s strategy to strengthen forest fire prevention and prevention, taking into account Madeira’s natural and climatic characteristics, which promote the occurrence of this type of phenomenon,” he said.

It highlights the importance of an “integrated approach to natural risks affecting island territory, including forest fires, mass movements and alluvials”.