Thank you for putting down the lens and helping the man! I had absolutely no problem with you that close filming - I think of the photographers that have gone into perilous situations far worse than yours often with bullets strafing to help tell a story. Your calmness kept me glued. These poor people; the fear. I remember thinking years ago when you first started your channel and thinking good lord why is land so cheap! Your stories over the years have shown me and why the young move away. Can you imagine the old timers that had no fire trucks, no water planes, cars (and electric bicycles) to protect their farms, and escape.
Relieved to see you made it out of this scourge in Portugal, knowing that humans play a big role in this. Got caught up in it on a bus trip to Viseu, which had to be rerouted via Coimbra. I’m sure you could still taste the acrid air after several days. Thank god for the bombeiros❤. As an antipodean, I know bushfires but this outbreak really scared me.
Dreadful to think many of the fires were started by arsonists, what on earth would go through a person’s mind to start something that could cause such devastation and loss of life.
Several reasons: money - for example lodgers that have interest to buy "burnt" eucaliptus - in fact only bark burns no the trunk itself- firefight industry- company that use choppers and planes that are used in firefight make millions each year- at lastly just envy of people who owns nothing and are full of envy of the eucaliptus property owners because thet make a good amount of money with it....and there also just crazy people who likes to see fire and firefigters in action...
@@auntiemandy5638 In that case, you make a deterrent, and if they are caught, they get the full force of the law thrown at them, a life behind bars breaking rocks, there is no excuse for this kind of thing.
Super glad you are both safe. That was close enough for my liking. Seeing plenty of videos on RUclips. Ken and wondered how you both were doing. Thanks for the update. Looking forward to you and your dad's vlog 👍🏽👊🏽🇬🇧
Thank goodness you’re all safe and well, the thought of how close it came to your home is quite terrifying for everyone to watch . I hope your father enjoys his visit with your family , looks like you all are going to have a great time together on this trip . Take care and many blessings 💕
Nothing is scarier than a fire, it consumes all in its way. Firemen have lost their lives fighting this fire and people have lost their homes, livestock and livelihoods. Horrid.. glad you are ok Ken and Gina.
Hello Ken and Gina. Hope all is well. This looked devastating. So close to where you are. Our thoughts and prayers reach out to those who were affected. Hopefully, no loss of life. That's what matters. Ken, what is the current status of the area and how many people and their properties were affected. Again, our thoughts and prayers 🙏 reach out. All the best to you guys and your community 🙏🙏 Jim and Harriet Richmond, VA. .
@@costasworldofmusicmemories5792 thanks guys, the fire burned for about 3 days and I have no idea how many people were affected. Once they were no longer burning I went to lisbon to meet up with my dad. When I got back we had 2 days of rain, so we should be good now 🙏
Great footage and so upsetting for those seriously affected. As they’ve arrested 14 people now it makes you even more angrier. With so many I would like to know their motives. So glad your farm escaped.
Hey, thanks for watching! It was a very strange experience, i was running on little to no sleep, and it almost diddnt feel real what was going on around me! Hopefully I will never see it again!
@@OKportugal i can imagine that you had little to no sleep. We were with the camper in a safe place. But we felt the atmosphere change during daytime. No birds singing. Crickets silenced, no eagles to see anymore.. as if nature kept its breath. I feel for the people who’s homes and properties were distroyed. I hope the charcoal will do its work and leave furtile soil after a year or so. Luckily you are safe.
So glad you and your property are safe. I can only imagine how terrifying this is. My state was just devasted here in western North Carolina. Continued prayers and as always thank you for the wonderful videos. 💖
The idea that it was caused by an arsonist is mind boggling. And I veel very sad for all those people who where directly affected by the fire. I see that many properties in Portugal have these water storage tanks. It would be my priority nr1 to create some sort of permanently installed emergency sprinkler system with an agricultural sprinkler or something like that to keep at least the house and the closest surrounding area directly around the house somewhat wet in case there is a fire nearby. However, I realize that I might sound naive and in many or even most cases this might not be possible for everyone, or it might not even be sufficient enough, especially in the mountain areas the fire has a lot of fuel and the terrain makes it even harder to control the fire. But if it is possible and if you would set of the cost from such a basic permanently installed emergency system against what you can lose it seems like a reasonable investment to make. A pump, a sprinkler some hose and perhaps a generator for when the power goes out. People pay insurance money to deal with the aftermath, so why not invest in some prevention as well. It is not just the grass, the undergrowth and the trees that are on fire that are dangerous. But the burning material that shoots up into the air can reach a very long distance while still burning and cause a new fire pretty much anywhere where it lands on the ground. At least I would feel somewhat protected against that with such a sprinkler system. And I also realize that you can't protect yourself against all bad things in life. But when it happens that frequently, and considering the fact that it will only get worse as global temperatures only go up, it would most certainly be something that I would consider given the fact that I had some source of water like for example a water storage tank. Anyway, thanks for sharing. I think that showing these fires serves an important role, so that people can see how devastating it is. I had no idea about the scale, and how difficult it is to combat the fires. It only becomes clear when you can see it with your own eyes, even if it is only through the lens from a camera. And sorry for the long story. I suppose that writing this is a way for me to deal with it because it really makes me feel sad to see it happen. But I am happy to see that you guys were safe. And hopefully the rain season will make things a lot safer again. Keep up the good spirit, and I am looking forward to see the vlog with your dad 👍
Before the summer heat kicks in we cut and till all of the surrounding fields so that there is nothing to burn. Our neighbour Joaquim does the same to all of the surrounding fields so there's no flammable material lying around. Our house is build from brick and cement with no wood in the roof or anywhere else making it very resistant to fire. We are very lucky that the layout of our farm, the construction of the buildings, and the open flat fields free of flammable material make us a lot safer than a lot of the other properties I've seen. We have our farm dam, wells and water tanks as a last resort ut hopefully these will never be necessary 🙏
Necessity is the mother of invention. Your words were indeed thought provoking, and important to think outside the box. We have materials today that centuries of generations didn’t have. Why not deep think it? Kudos to Ken for risking his safety to get on tape.
Dear Ken and Gina So terrifying...so thankful you are safe. When was this ? Was this several days ago when the fires were raging in Aviero, Porto Tabua ? I cant wrap my head around where to find a home that would be safe. These fires are arson. Ive seen comments from people in Greece fires where they know their land is being chased down by the wind farm industry. Nothing surprise me. Stay safe sweet people ❤
Hi Barb, yes this over a week ago, but I only had time to finish the video now as I was on holiday with my father. Portugal is a very safe country to live, and although there are lots of summer wildfires, there are many things you can to make your property safer during these dry summer months. Where I was filming was in a thick forested area with lots of uncut grasses and dry bushes, and I think thats why it spread so fast.
Thank you Ken. So it was over a week ago. Good news. Yes definitely where there is a lot of uncut dry brush...forest..that's ideal for fire. My heart goes out to that sweet woman crying..wish I could give her a hug. I love Portugal. Giving another look at a beautiful property you showed near Guarda. No trees..a pool... Nice small farm. @@OKportugal
Glad you guys were safe, great video Ken. A real eye opener to the area we’ve just bought into. We can only watch from UK. Unfortunately people starting fires in Portugal is nothing new. 20yrs ago I first became aware of this when I first came to Portugal.
Thanks Shaun, once you get back to Portugal there are a lot of different things that you can do with youre land to help with fire safety in the summer months. All the best to you.
Yikes! That is damn scary. You were freaking me out a bit getting so close to the fire. It has been reported that some of these fires are set by human hands. It's hard to imagine how someone can concieve of inflicting tragedy and destruction upon their neighbours. 🙂👍👍🇨🇦
@@OKportugal yeah, it showed a small patch sparking up and then it started spreading quickly. Really who would have an interest in setting such a fire. ? Insurance.
@@deborahwhite2339 I think there's many reasons, from people with mental illness to others being motivated by money somehow. Every year there is a fire around this area and below Casal da Serra so I think it's definitely arson.
So many wildfires in the North too. And I feel like this year was really bad. Most of the time it has to be arson. I used to live in a tiny village near Viana do Castelo. Every year around the same day, there would be a huge fire on the hill above the church. That cannot be a coincidence.
Here in Oz we know fires too well. Our conditions are very much like Portugal in the Summer. My heart is with anyone in the fire area. Thank goodness for our firefighters… they are beyond words.. So much empathy and sympathy for those affected..
Unfortunately, that become an issue when you have the biggest companies in paper industry located here , in Portugal. And we all know, money speaks louder than just about everything.
that is NOT the problem...there are eucalptus trees all over the world...the problem is that people do not use water during the dry season on the dry grass...nor use preventable measures in case fire is coming...fire can start by a piece of glass hit by the sun, a small drop of petro, oil or anything that is flamable hit by the sun, metal that gets xtrly hot and dry grass will start a fire, HUMAN intervention that is people making fires happen...I hate when people blame one tree for fires which is far from the truth!!!
We live here now three years south of Lisbon (Arrabida area) and have fires every year around us. Always scary also knowing that a lot of firefighters can be in problems. One week before we went off to Italy, just across our garden in the mountains. When the wind is strong it can go really fast. That house in Oeiras is on the golf area near the ocean I think. Great to see it did not touch your house and your dogs.
You made fantastic footage and showed it in a very respectful and calm way. Great job. Will you show us some after-fire footage in a few weeks from the same place? Hope no one's house is destroyed.
Oh dear Lord Ken and Gina, this was way to close for comfort. Ken your videos were terrifying, and am so glad you helped a few home owners throwing dirt on the embers. It's extreme conditions, and horrifying to watch. Prayers to all those affected.
@@michelebushnik2874 it was a close one for us, and sadly a lot of people lost a lot in this one. I didn't hear of any casualties in this local fire thankfully 🙏
You menioned that this fire started around 10PM, is any cause of staring it known? Maybe is it worth to investigate if the affected area was not for sale/ mabe recently purchased by some company?
Every year around this area there are fires that are started by a suspected arsonist. Hopefully they will catch them! Maybe they need to look at mobile phones that were in that area at the time of ignition or something
Your farmer neighbor has all your land cleared i don't think you have lots of trees TG it is frightening true good idea to go home i would think that Gena would like you home not putting your self in harms way.
u have a pond...do can use a pump to start placing water all around your home and over the house...that may help. I am so sorry that fire is too close to you...just get ready pack the important stuff, animals ready to go..
Hi Lolita, dont worry the fire is out now, and we also had some rain to wet everything through. We are fortunate that our farm is very well protected from fire. We dont have any forested areas anywhere near to the house, and all of our fields are open flat pastures, which are cut and free of any flammable material. Our farmhouse is a solid brick and cement build with no wood, and should be very resistant to fire too. Obviously nothing is 100% certain, which is why I had to go to the fire to see for myself if it was going to be a threat to us. And should the worst case scenario happen, we have 2 wells, a dam, and a water tank, right next to the house to wet everything down. Hopefully we will never need that option though.
@@OKportugal I am so glad u and wife and all critters are ok... Yes, having lots of water on the land helps to fight fires and to prevent damage to your land. I agree with you I hope u never have to fleed and see everything coming to ashes..that will be very sad.
Dropping in to see if your ok and liked the vid, suddenly realised its like nr 666, a hot number in a spicy situation. (actually I feel very bloody weird now) Anyways I am very happy you guys are ok! I am living surrounded by pine forest, next to fire roads we also have fire ditches, they also work as rain catch so even in the dry season plants tend to be allot less dry so it works as a brake, they can get filled with water too to slow down fire although if its to dry then thats not possible as its about 90% sand and it will just soak it up until it gets saturated. Maybe install a sprinkler system, wetting down everything before a fire gets there would help lots, idk I am just thinking about things now since I dont want anything happening to you guys! At least once it burned, it cant burn twice. Take care! stay safe
As an Aussie, eucalyptus trees have oil in their leaves that promotes fire, as the Aussie bush needs fire to regenerate (many seeds only germinate after being smoked or burnt). Personally I’d be cutting down any eucalyptus or wattle trees you can (yes they are beautiful but they should never have been planted in Portugal). Please be safe and have your fire evacuation plans ready. In Australia over the last few years, the government warns that homes, property and lives cannot be saved if we stay to fight. Better to evacuate than to lose your life. And if this was lit by an arsonist, I wish absolute hell on them when they are caught.
Thanks Megan, unfortunately Portugal has a large paper industry which needs lots of eucalyptus which I guess is why they plant large areas with the stuff. This local fire was mainly pine trees, mimosa, bushes and grasses. There were only a few eucalyptus trees i saw.
@@javi690321 there were fires all over during that week but they are all out now. There is a website and phone app called Fogos.pt where you can see a map showing the locations of any fires.
Hi Ken, look like you have a new job😅newscaster?😊. I don’t know how far are you from my land? Sobral do Campo. Night time when you got in there. Hope not much trouble to go home. Thanks
I think this is about 30 km from Castelo Branco. But the problem with this is of course....when you take the whole region of Castelo Branco, you have many different places, and different surroundings. The spot where Ken and his wife live it is mostly flat land. And well kept, not at all overgrown. Other places , maybe a few kilometers or miles away, have forest and unkept land. When you live close to a forest, and/or overgrown properties next to your place then you are more at risk. This can happen in theory anywhere throughout Portugal with places with many trees and "wild" land. Also the type of trees can make a difference.
Spot on Peter. This fire was on the side of the Gardunha mountain, making access very difficult for the fire fighters. It's covered in lots of forest and it was only during daylight hours when the water bombing airplanes could fly that it was brought under control. There are lots of different ways to make your property safer in fire season, but some properties will be easier to secure than others due to their layout and surroundings.
This one is called an Engwe M20. Its one of my favourite. They have a new model coming out soon which they will send me to review in a video. They will probably give me a discount to share too 😁👍
I am so glad you are safe. I hope to come this year and live in central portugal too, but now i am starting to get scared a little. Is there nothing men can do to stop the fire entering ones property? Stay safe 💖
Hi Marion, our neighbour Joaquim rents a lot of land around our farm to grow grasses for his sheep. He tills the fields just before the summer heat so that there's no dried grasses or bushes that could catch alight in the event of a fire. We also cut all the grasses around the house leaving little to nothing to burn. It's not pretty, but it makes us quite safe. The grasses grow back fast as soon as the rains come and everything starts to green up again quickly. So it's possible to be safer here if you manage your land well and are surrounded by well managed properties. Also a property like ours is flat open pasture and not dense woodland making it much easier to manage.
@@marionpantekoek9935 we have a large olive tree orchard. As long as you keep the grasses cut before the summer you should be fine having an orchard. Just leave enough space around your house free of anything flammable and you should be alright. Our farm house is made entirely from brick, cement and tiles. There's no wood anywhere in the construction. This is going to stand up much better to fire in comparison to something with wooden roof joists or a lig cabin.
@@OKportugal i love you for your answers, now i know what i can do to stay as safe as possible. Have a great time with your dad, memories will stay forever. Again super thanks for the answers. Love Marion
thanks... it was kind of weird to be saying "good night" to people when they are watching their land burn, but I had no idea what else to say. Very sad to see, especially that elderly woman who was crying later in the video.
@@OKportugal nah bro it fit perfectly good in that situation, that’s what everyone would at least say in that situation, “boa noite” since u can’t really elaborate more, that’s exactly what you should have said 👍🏼 don’t worry 😂
It seems like all Pine & Eucalyptus trees need to be taken down! They seem to be just kindling! Glad you are safe. So sad for the older lady who was crying . I pray all was ok for her property.
If you are close to a wildfire, the fire itself, as well as heavy smoke and ash, can pose serious, immediate risks to your safety and health. You and Gina should be prepared to evacuate immediately if told to do so. Farther from a wildfire, you may be exposed to smoke even if the fire itself is far away. It was bloody stupid of you to walk towards the fire, you are only hampering your own life plus a menace to the firefighters. Shaking my head here, all for a video.
I knew this video would be controversial, but the reality is that I needed to go and see the fire to work out if we were in any danger of it reaching our property.. how bad was it, was it under control, which way was it spreading etc. I document my life in portugal to show others the good and bad of living here, and it's not going to be to everyone's taste. As a film maker I think it's important to document things like this and the impact that it has to the environment and the people living here. I'm very aware of wildfires and their danger, after growing up in South Africa and experiencing many of them first hand. I'm also very aware of the dangers of smoke etc. This is why I only approached areas where the fuel was already burned and with the wind blowing the smoke away from me. I think there's always going to be strong differing opinions when filming content like this.
We must look at the bright side of the fires, what burns this year won't burn next, some day will have nothing to burn and the fires will be no problem anymore.
@@Daniel_QWERTZ Of course it's not true, I've just interiorized the fact that we'll have fires every year, and the only way to not have them is if there's no fuel. Fires in Portugal are likes taxes, we can count on them every single year and they never decrease. Some day we'll go ou of money for taxes and off fuel for fires.
Not as long there is eucalyptus around, most will survive and even the stem will survive. And if the stem is burned new shoots come from the roots very soon. And the seeds of the eucalyptus need fire to germinate, so more areas are taking over by eucalyptus.
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Thank you for putting down the lens and helping the man! I had absolutely no problem with you that close filming - I think of the photographers that have gone into perilous situations far worse than yours often with bullets strafing to help tell a story. Your calmness kept me glued. These poor people; the fear. I remember thinking years ago when you first started your channel and thinking good lord why is land so cheap! Your stories over the years have shown me and why the young move away. Can you imagine the old timers that had no fire trucks, no water planes, cars (and electric bicycles) to protect their farms, and escape.
Glad you all are ok, and the farm is safe🙏
Thanks Michael 🙏
Relieved to see you made it out of this scourge in Portugal, knowing that humans play a big role in this. Got caught up in it on a bus trip to Viseu, which had to be rerouted via Coimbra. I’m sure you could still taste the acrid air after several days. Thank god for the bombeiros❤. As an antipodean, I know bushfires but this outbreak really scared me.
@@lisacraig4585 it was scary for sure. There were hundreds of fires during that week that you could see on the fogos app. Viseu got hit bad!
Dreadful to think many of the fires were started by arsonists, what on earth would go through a person’s mind to start something that could cause such devastation and loss of life.
@@alunjprice it's mind boggling! And this area seems to have fires every year near the same place!
Several reasons: money - for example lodgers that have interest to buy "burnt" eucaliptus - in fact only bark burns no the trunk itself- firefight industry- company that use choppers and planes that are used in firefight make millions each year- at lastly just envy of people who owns nothing and are full of envy of the eucaliptus property owners because thet make a good amount of money with it....and there also just crazy people who likes to see fire and firefigters in action...
usually a Land grab , in Australia after fires they triple the insurance and offer next to nothing for the land
@@auntiemandy5638 In that case, you make a deterrent, and if they are caught, they get the full force of the law thrown at them, a life behind bars breaking rocks, there is no excuse for this kind of thing.
@@auntiemandy5638 next to nothing for the land??? where show me the link
Super glad you are both safe. That was close enough for my liking. Seeing plenty of videos on RUclips. Ken and wondered how you both were doing. Thanks for the update. Looking forward to you and your dad's vlog 👍🏽👊🏽🇬🇧
Thanks Dave, we are all safe now!
I’m thankful the fires didn’t damage your property! You’re too brave!
Glad your place is ok Ken - but so sad for all those that lost it all☺
@@AnneHeyns I know it was heartbreaking to see people losing their land like this!
Praying for you and everyone in the area to make it through the fires safely!
This is very upsetting to see. Glad you all are safe and ok.
Thank you, we are all good now
Thanks, Ken. I'm so glad to know that you guys are okay. So frightening.
Alex
@@mongofan1 thanks Alex. We safe and sound 🙏
So glad you guys are safe.
@@nickcox6556 thanks Nick 🙏
Thank goodness you’re all safe and well, the thought of how close it came to your home is quite terrifying for everyone to watch . I hope your father enjoys his visit with your family , looks like you all are going to have a great time together on this trip . Take care and many blessings 💕
@@jerryreeves2000 thanks Jerry 😁❤️👍
Since it's started at night, it's likely arson? Ken's face is always on optimistic mode.
Yes its most likely arson... the mountain seems to get fires around this area every year, but not this big!
@@fleedum I thought I saw lightning on the camera video.
Glad to know you are both safe,take care..
@@richardsicard8890 thank you 🙏
Nothing is scarier than a fire, it consumes all in its way. Firemen have lost their lives fighting this fire and people have lost their homes, livestock and livelihoods. Horrid.. glad you are ok Ken and Gina.
Hello Ken and Gina. Hope all is well. This looked devastating. So close to where you are. Our thoughts and prayers reach out to those who were affected. Hopefully, no loss of life.
That's what matters. Ken, what is the current status of the area and how many people and their properties were affected. Again, our thoughts and prayers 🙏 reach out.
All the best to you guys and your community 🙏🙏 Jim and Harriet Richmond, VA.
.
@@costasworldofmusicmemories5792 thanks guys, the fire burned for about 3 days and I have no idea how many people were affected. Once they were no longer burning I went to lisbon to meet up with my dad. When I got back we had 2 days of rain, so we should be good now 🙏
Could you not have sent a message to God to avoid this before you needed to send prayers?
So much devastation... good that you and your neighbors are safe
Great footage and so upsetting for those seriously affected. As they’ve arrested 14 people now it makes you even more angrier. With so many I would like to know their motives. So glad your farm escaped.
oh wow i diddnt realise that they made arrests! Are these arrests over the whole country or just this local fire?
Blessing to all in harm's way. So thankful both of you, your critters, and your farm remained safe. May the rains continue.
Thanks Jackie 🙏
Blessings and protection to all good souls!!!
@@CharlesSpencer-t5f 🙏
I can't even imagine what you are going through I'm so sorry for you😢sending ❤🙏
Thank you Tracey, we are all safe now 🙏
I also salute the brave fire fighters of Portugal . Stay safe 🌎🌸
Thanks 🙏
Tnx for your reportage. It was scary and very instructive
Hey, thanks for watching! It was a very strange experience, i was running on little to no sleep, and it almost diddnt feel real what was going on around me! Hopefully I will never see it again!
@@OKportugal i can imagine that you had little to no sleep. We were with the camper in a safe place. But we felt the atmosphere change during daytime. No birds singing. Crickets silenced, no eagles to see anymore.. as if nature kept its breath. I feel for the people who’s homes and properties were distroyed. I hope the charcoal will do its work and leave furtile soil after a year or so. Luckily you are safe.
I'm so glad they got it out.😊
Thanks for your vid 😇💟💟💟 Love and bless you guys 🙏💞
Thanks for your support Arjan🙏
I saw just a tiny sliver of you home inside. Would be nice to see all the improvements you have made. Fire, no words, how very terrifying
So glad you and your property are safe. I can only imagine how terrifying this is. My state was just devasted here in western North Carolina. Continued prayers and as always thank you for the wonderful videos. 💖
Thank you 🙏
@bavariagirl456 The devastation in the mountain towns of North Carolina is horrific. Floods and fires - opposites that are equally deadly.
Tennessee as well. Please all be safe in harms way here in the USA and in Portugal @@lapsedluddite3381
The idea that it was caused by an arsonist is mind boggling. And I veel very sad for all those people who where directly affected by the fire. I see that many properties in Portugal have these water storage tanks. It would be my priority nr1 to create some sort of permanently installed emergency sprinkler system with an agricultural sprinkler or something like that to keep at least the house and the closest surrounding area directly around the house somewhat wet in case there is a fire nearby.
However, I realize that I might sound naive and in many or even most cases this might not be possible for everyone, or it might not even be sufficient enough, especially in the mountain areas the fire has a lot of fuel and the terrain makes it even harder to control the fire.
But if it is possible and if you would set of the cost from such a basic permanently installed emergency system against what you can lose it seems like a reasonable investment to make. A pump, a sprinkler some hose and perhaps a generator for when the power goes out. People pay insurance money to deal with the aftermath, so why not invest in some prevention as well.
It is not just the grass, the undergrowth and the trees that are on fire that are dangerous. But the burning material that shoots up into the air can reach a very long distance while still burning and cause a new fire pretty much anywhere where it lands on the ground. At least I would feel somewhat protected against that with such a sprinkler system. And I also realize that you can't protect yourself against all bad things in life. But when it happens that frequently, and considering the fact that it will only get worse as global temperatures only go up, it would most certainly be something that I would consider given the fact that I had some source of water like for example a water storage tank.
Anyway, thanks for sharing. I think that showing these fires serves an important role, so that people can see how devastating it is. I had no idea about the scale, and how difficult it is to combat the fires. It only becomes clear when you can see it with your own eyes, even if it is only through the lens from a camera.
And sorry for the long story. I suppose that writing this is a way for me to deal with it because it really makes me feel sad to see it happen. But I am happy to see that you guys were safe. And hopefully the rain season will make things a lot safer again. Keep up the good spirit, and I am looking forward to see the vlog with your dad 👍
Before the summer heat kicks in we cut and till all of the surrounding fields so that there is nothing to burn. Our neighbour Joaquim does the same to all of the surrounding fields so there's no flammable material lying around.
Our house is build from brick and cement with no wood in the roof or anywhere else making it very resistant to fire.
We are very lucky that the layout of our farm, the construction of the buildings, and the open flat fields free of flammable material make us a lot safer than a lot of the other properties I've seen.
We have our farm dam, wells and water tanks as a last resort ut hopefully these will never be necessary 🙏
Necessity is the mother of invention. Your words were indeed thought provoking, and important to think outside the box. We have materials today that centuries of generations didn’t have. Why not deep think it? Kudos to Ken for risking his safety to get on tape.
@@Here_kitty_kitty1-wg9xd 👍
Awesome footage ❤! That was so scary.😮
Greetings from Thailand. Keep safe . This is a normal occurrence in northern Thailand. Three months of hell., fire and worse smoke.
Oh no, so sorry to hear it!
Dear Ken and Gina
So terrifying...so thankful you are safe.
When was this ?
Was this several days ago when the fires were raging in Aviero, Porto Tabua ?
I cant wrap my head around where to find a home that would be safe. These fires are arson. Ive seen comments from people in Greece fires where they know their land is being chased down by the wind farm industry.
Nothing surprise me.
Stay safe sweet people ❤
Hi Barb, yes this over a week ago, but I only had time to finish the video now as I was on holiday with my father. Portugal is a very safe country to live, and although there are lots of summer wildfires, there are many things you can to make your property safer during these dry summer months. Where I was filming was in a thick forested area with lots of uncut grasses and dry bushes, and I think thats why it spread so fast.
Thank you Ken. So it was over a week ago. Good news. Yes definitely where there is a lot of uncut dry brush...forest..that's ideal for fire. My heart goes out to that sweet woman crying..wish I could give her a hug. I love Portugal. Giving another look at a beautiful property you showed near Guarda. No trees..a pool... Nice small farm. @@OKportugal
@@BarbVirginia I know, that was really hard to see, I wanted to try and console her but she pulled away. I think the shock was too much for her!
Thank goodness that you weren’t affected by the fires and you are both safe.
Thanks Christine, it was a big fright for sure 🙏
great reporting 👏 thank you🙏🏻
Thanks Russel 🙏
Glad you guys were safe, great video Ken.
A real eye opener to the area we’ve just bought into.
We can only watch from UK.
Unfortunately people starting fires in Portugal is nothing new. 20yrs ago I first became aware of this when I first came to Portugal.
Thanks Shaun, once you get back to Portugal there are a lot of different things that you can do with youre land to help with fire safety in the summer months. All the best to you.
@@OKportugal Thanks Ken, all these videos are so helpful and informative.
sending you so many blessings.
Thank you 🙏
My God, that brings memories back about the Victorian Australian bushfire we had several years ago. Cheers Daniela
I remember seeing that on the news!
Glad you guys are ok.
Thanks Les! We were the lucky ones. Sadly a lot of people lost their land!
Yikes! That is damn scary. You were freaking me out a bit getting so close to the fire. It has been reported that some of these fires are set by human hands. It's hard to imagine how someone can concieve of inflicting tragedy and destruction upon their neighbours. 🙂👍👍🇨🇦
This fire started around 10pm so it has to have been arson. It's a real shame!
@@OKportugal yeah, it showed a small patch sparking up and then it started spreading quickly. Really who would have an interest in setting such a fire. ? Insurance.
@@deborahwhite2339 I think there's many reasons, from people with mental illness to others being motivated by money somehow. Every year there is a fire around this area and below Casal da Serra so I think it's definitely arson.
@@OKportugal Yes of course....
Glad your all safe.
wow ken,glad to see you and Gina are ok.sorry for the locals and hope there was no loss of life.good luck and see you in next vid.
Thanks Shane 🙏
that fire was less than 1 km from my farm ;-P no damages on my farm and i strangely was not worried it would hit my farm.
I'm glad to hear that you were safe 🙏
@@OKportugal if you are close next time, drop in for a cold one if you like.
So many wildfires in the North too. And I feel like this year was really bad. Most of the time it has to be arson. I used to live in a tiny village near Viana do Castelo. Every year around the same day, there would be a huge fire on the hill above the church. That cannot be a coincidence.
Its the same here, every year we have fires started around this area. Speaking with locals they suspect arson.
You all were in my thoughts! such tragedy.
Here in Oz we know fires too well. Our conditions are very much like Portugal in the Summer.
My heart is with anyone in the fire area.
Thank goodness for our firefighters… they are beyond words..
So much empathy and sympathy for those affected..
@@LorraineinAustralia thank you Lorraine 🙏
I hope that you stay safe. God bless you both.
Thank you 🙏
Wow!! Stay safe guys!😮
Thank you! We are all good now!
Eucalyptus plantations should be made illegal in Portugal.
Unfortunately, that become an issue when you have the biggest companies in paper industry located here , in Portugal. And we all know, money speaks louder than just about everything.
@@pedrobatista4439 People are dying. Citizens of your country are dying burning and choking. Every year it makes news abroad.
@@marlan5470 People are dying from diabetes and cancer yet fast food is not illegal.
that is NOT the problem...there are eucalptus trees all over the world...the problem is that people do not use water during the dry season on the dry grass...nor use preventable measures in case fire is coming...fire can start by a piece of glass hit by the sun, a small drop of petro, oil or anything that is flamable hit by the sun, metal that gets xtrly hot and dry grass will start a fire, HUMAN intervention that is people making fires happen...I hate when people blame one tree for fires which is far from the truth!!!
@@sonarsphere what a joker
Im so sorry for you and all the people going through this, my prayers go out to you all ❤❤❤ xxx
@@Yvonneb_ 🙏❤️
Oh my word!! I am happy you are safe. Mooi bly!
Dankie Desire 🙏
Glad you are all safe😊😊
Thank you. We are so happy that it's all over. I hope that we never see flames behind our farmhouse like that ever again! 🙏
I'm glad your ok❤
@@alittleheavenonearth thank you 😊
We live here now three years south of Lisbon (Arrabida area) and have fires every year around us. Always scary also knowing that a lot of firefighters can be in problems. One week before we went off to Italy, just across our garden in the mountains. When the wind is strong it can go really fast. That house in Oeiras is on the golf area near the ocean I think. Great to see it did not touch your house and your dogs.
That’s very painful And very sad😢😢😢😢😢
Stay safe Ken .
You made fantastic footage and showed it in a very respectful and calm way. Great job.
Will you show us some after-fire footage in a few weeks from the same place?
Hope no one's house is destroyed.
Thank you. Good idea
Great photography Ken. So sad for families 🙏🙏🙏
@@maureenbrophy7852 I know, it was very difficult to see some of the people watching their lands burn. A helpless feeling.
Wow how scarey glad you all are ok that side thank you for sharing such a daring video
@@celiaholl5712 thanks for watching Celia! 😊
@@OKportugal i dont miss it. I am in South Africa
Oh dear Lord Ken and Gina, this was way to close for comfort. Ken your videos were terrifying, and am so glad you helped a few home owners throwing dirt on the embers. It's extreme conditions, and horrifying to watch. Prayers to all those affected.
@@michelebushnik2874 it was a close one for us, and sadly a lot of people lost a lot in this one. I didn't hear of any casualties in this local fire thankfully 🙏
That is really Kak .Hope you guys are safe and well.
Thank you. We are totally safe and well thankfully!
Always wear masks around fires. The particulate is dangerous.
Stay safe guys
Came across your site & immediately recognized your accent as South African. Thankful your property is okay. The fires were horrendous. Subscribed!
Hi Alida, many thanks!
You menioned that this fire started around 10PM, is any cause of staring it known? Maybe is it worth to investigate if the affected area was not for sale/ mabe recently purchased by some company?
Every year around this area there are fires that are started by a suspected arsonist. Hopefully they will catch them! Maybe they need to look at mobile phones that were in that area at the time of ignition or something
@@OKportugal Yes hopefully these idiots responsible will face consequences, stay safe guys and many thanks for raising this issue.
Your landscape reminds me of our area in Ca.
It's very similar... along our coats we also have kelp forests like CA
Very scary . Watching from South Africa 🌎🌸🥺
Is your neighbours property ok.
A lot of farms have been destroyed but we are safe thankfully. I feel very bad for all the people whose properties were burned that night!
Your farmer neighbor has all your land cleared i don't think you have lots of trees TG it is frightening true good idea to go home i would think that Gena would like you home not putting your self in harms way.
u have a pond...do can use a pump to start placing water all around your home and over the house...that may help. I am so sorry that fire is too close to you...just get ready pack the important stuff, animals ready to go..
Hi Lolita, dont worry the fire is out now, and we also had some rain to wet everything through.
We are fortunate that our farm is very well protected from fire. We dont have any forested areas anywhere near to the house, and all of our fields are open flat pastures, which are cut and free of any flammable material.
Our farmhouse is a solid brick and cement build with no wood, and should be very resistant to fire too. Obviously nothing is 100% certain, which is why I had to go to the fire to see for myself if it was going to be a threat to us.
And should the worst case scenario happen, we have 2 wells, a dam, and a water tank, right next to the house to wet everything down. Hopefully we will never need that option though.
@@OKportugal I am so glad u and wife and all critters are ok... Yes, having lots of water on the land helps to fight fires and to prevent damage to your land. I agree with you I hope u never have to fleed and see everything coming to ashes..that will be very sad.
Dropping in to see if your ok and liked the vid, suddenly realised its like nr 666, a hot number in a spicy situation. (actually I feel very bloody weird now) Anyways I am very happy you guys are ok!
I am living surrounded by pine forest, next to fire roads we also have fire ditches, they also work as rain catch so even in the dry season plants tend to be allot less dry so it works as a brake, they can get filled with water too to slow down fire although if its to dry then thats not possible as its about 90% sand and it will just soak it up until it gets saturated.
Maybe install a sprinkler system, wetting down everything before a fire gets there would help lots, idk I am just thinking about things now since I dont want anything happening to you guys!
At least once it burned, it cant burn twice.
Take care! stay safe
Thank you 🙏 you too
OH! WOW!
I really hope no one was hurt.
Me too! It was really bad!
Stay safe guys
Thank you 🙏
❤😁
So glad y'all are okay. Have you touched base with Joachim and family?
Thanks Kim, Yes we see them all the time, we are just across the street, and see them daily while they are moving all the sheep around. :)
hello , too many land is abandonned , young people doesn t like agriculture ! PRICE of the farm is REALLY CRAZY !! good luck
As an Aussie, eucalyptus trees have oil in their leaves that promotes fire, as the Aussie bush needs fire to regenerate (many seeds only germinate after being smoked or burnt). Personally I’d be cutting down any eucalyptus or wattle trees you can (yes they are beautiful but they should never have been planted in Portugal). Please be safe and have your fire evacuation plans ready. In Australia over the last few years, the government warns that homes, property and lives cannot be saved if we stay to fight. Better to evacuate than to lose your life. And if this was lit by an arsonist, I wish absolute hell on them when they are caught.
Thanks Megan, unfortunately Portugal has a large paper industry which needs lots of eucalyptus which I guess is why they plant large areas with the stuff. This local fire was mainly pine trees, mimosa, bushes and grasses. There were only a few eucalyptus trees i saw.
agree, it is dangerous
Hi. Take care. The fire is in the center of Portugal but where? So that people can know and help people.
@@javi690321 there were fires all over during that week but they are all out now. There is a website and phone app called Fogos.pt where you can see a map showing the locations of any fires.
Hi Ken, look like you have a new job😅newscaster?😊. I don’t know how far are you from my land? Sobral do Campo. Night time when you got in there. Hope not much trouble to go home. Thanks
Yes i was cycling past there to reach the fire. I hope your land was safe
Portugal, country of flames 😢
That looks suspicious starting like that at night time, unless it was electrical or something like that. Hope you both are ok.
Thanks John. We are all good now 🙏
Scary stuff. I hope everyone escaped in one piece 🙏
I hope so too 🙏
Well I can’t possibly like the fact your house could be on fire
Can you provide an explanation as to how the fire started, hope all is well, God bless, JP Cape Town
It's most likely been set by an arsonist. There were fires all across the country during that week with lots of them starting late at night!
Is this the castelo branco area? Wife saw this and was like maybe we need to look at a different area
I think this is about 30 km from Castelo Branco.
But the problem with this is of course....when you take the whole region of Castelo Branco, you have many different places, and different surroundings.
The spot where Ken and his wife live it is mostly flat land. And well kept, not at all overgrown. Other places , maybe a few kilometers or miles away, have forest and unkept land. When you live close to a forest, and/or overgrown properties next to your place then you are more at risk.
This can happen in theory anywhere throughout Portugal with places with many trees and "wild" land. Also the type of trees can make a difference.
Spot on Peter. This fire was on the side of the Gardunha mountain, making access very difficult for the fire fighters. It's covered in lots of forest and it was only during daylight hours when the water bombing airplanes could fly that it was brought under control.
There are lots of different ways to make your property safer in fire season, but some properties will be easier to secure than others due to their layout and surroundings.
Also what brand e-bike is that? Seems like the perfect option for us once we get there nect year
This one is called an Engwe M20. Its one of my favourite. They have a new model coming out soon which they will send me to review in a video. They will probably give me a discount to share too 😁👍
@@OKportugal awesome I'll wait then lol
I am so glad you are safe.
I hope to come this year and live in central portugal too, but now i am starting to get scared a little.
Is there nothing men can do to stop the fire entering ones property?
Stay safe 💖
Hi Marion, our neighbour Joaquim rents a lot of land around our farm to grow grasses for his sheep. He tills the fields just before the summer heat so that there's no dried grasses or bushes that could catch alight in the event of a fire.
We also cut all the grasses around the house leaving little to nothing to burn. It's not pretty, but it makes us quite safe.
The grasses grow back fast as soon as the rains come and everything starts to green up again quickly.
So it's possible to be safer here if you manage your land well and are surrounded by well managed properties.
Also a property like ours is flat open pasture and not dense woodland making it much easier to manage.
@@OKportugal thank you so much for your answer ...... in that case i need a very big peace of land, or forget all about my fruitforrest 🙈
@@marionpantekoek9935 we have a large olive tree orchard. As long as you keep the grasses cut before the summer you should be fine having an orchard. Just leave enough space around your house free of anything flammable and you should be alright.
Our farm house is made entirely from brick, cement and tiles. There's no wood anywhere in the construction. This is going to stand up much better to fire in comparison to something with wooden roof joists or a lig cabin.
@@OKportugal i love you for your answers, now i know what i can do to stay as safe as possible.
Have a great time with your dad, memories will stay forever.
Again super thanks for the answers.
Love Marion
@@marionpantekoek9935 thanks Marion. All the best to you 😊
Its crazy how
The ground burns like a bbq
It was very strange seeing it up close
Bbbyyeeee🎶🎶
Can you do a follow-up on the lady whom was crying and maybe do go fund me for her?
How this going to effects property prices ?
Depends on the damage I guess. But things do grow back quite quickly, as the charcoal and ash acts as a bit of a fertiliser.
Portugal has wild fires every year... The Goverment there should fine owners who leave their land overgrown....
Muito triste ver isso.
Estou feliz que tenha terminado e tenha chovido!
Where is this 😮
Central Portugal in the Castelo Branco district.
your “boa noite” sounding pretty Portuguese bro 😂😂😂😂
thanks... it was kind of weird to be saying "good night" to people when they are watching their land burn, but I had no idea what else to say. Very sad to see, especially that elderly woman who was crying later in the video.
@@OKportugal nah bro it fit perfectly good in that situation, that’s what everyone would at least say in that situation, “boa noite” since u can’t really elaborate more, that’s exactly what you should have said 👍🏼 don’t worry 😂
Oh my ! That’s scary !! Do you think it was intentional or by lightning ?
People I've spoken to seem to think it was probably arson.
Do you get any rain in summer?
Not usually, but we did get 2 days of rain a couple of days after the fire.
It seems like all Pine & Eucalyptus trees need to be taken down! They seem to be just kindling! Glad you are safe. So sad for the older lady who was crying . I pray all was ok for her property.
I know, it was very sad to her upset like that, and nor being able to do anything about it.
If you are close to a wildfire, the fire itself, as well as heavy smoke and ash, can pose serious, immediate risks to your safety and health. You and Gina should be prepared to evacuate immediately if told to do so. Farther from a wildfire, you may be exposed to smoke even if the fire itself is far away. It was bloody stupid of you to walk towards the fire, you are only hampering your own life plus a menace to the firefighters. Shaking my head here, all for a video.
I knew this video would be controversial, but the reality is that I needed to go and see the fire to work out if we were in any danger of it reaching our property.. how bad was it, was it under control, which way was it spreading etc.
I document my life in portugal to show others the good and bad of living here, and it's not going to be to everyone's taste. As a film maker I think it's important to document things like this and the impact that it has to the environment and the people living here.
I'm very aware of wildfires and their danger, after growing up in South Africa and experiencing many of them first hand.
I'm also very aware of the dangers of smoke etc. This is why I only approached areas where the fuel was already burned and with the wind blowing the smoke away from me.
I think there's always going to be strong differing opinions when filming content like this.
We must look at the bright side of the fires, what burns this year won't burn next, some day will have nothing to burn and the fires will be no problem anymore.
That's not true, in two years or less the burned area will be covered in bushland... That's even worse for the next fire to come...
@@Daniel_QWERTZ Of course it's not true, I've just interiorized the fact that we'll have fires every year, and the only way to not have them is if there's no fuel. Fires in Portugal are likes taxes, we can count on them every single year and they never decrease. Some day we'll go ou of money for taxes and off fuel for fires.
Not as long there is eucalyptus around, most will survive and even the stem will survive. And if the stem is burned new shoots come from the roots very soon. And the seeds of the eucalyptus need fire to germinate, so more areas are taking over by eucalyptus.