@@BenKrauskopf-vr6il you must understand that animal culture here is very "oldschool" in the sense that many dogs are in chains and left to themselves around old palheiros and most houses in general, and that's why a lot of dogs have been saved during these wildfires. Check their instagram page. When it comes to animal life in general, sure, we don't have a ton of exotic wild life, but smaller creatures/bird nests/etc do count as death in our book.
The loss is mainly material. There's always a few animals that die but usually owners gather all their animals in a safe place. Forests need fires to grow stronger. In a couple of years all that burned area will be green again. What's amazing is that one individual caused all of this with his fireworks. It takes a 100% brainless man to launch fireworks under such weather. My opinion is that whoever did this should be sentenced to life in prison. Meanwhile, those in power that refused any help from the continent or from Azores when the fire could be controlled returned to their vacation as if nothing is happening. All of this is just mind blowing. I just hope everyone is ok.
I am a local and follow your channel. I can see from your frustration and sadness that there's a lot of Madeira in you, just like in us locals. What I can reassure you is that you are having the full Madeira experience and it is part of learning curve to live with it. I have seen many wildfires in my life, I have been told of crazy wildfires by my ancestors. I have been very frustrated and asked many questions but as I got older I just learnt this is how nature works. This island has an amazing regeneration capacity which I have seen too many times. First the dark will go away in a few months, then will come the bushes, then the trees.
To his point, one of the issues facing California and the Pacific Northwest is that when forest fires happen, the intensity of the fires are getting worse and worse. Now, the lazy good for nothing media blames it on climate change, which is a convenient narrative these days, but the real reason for it is that, over the last 50-75 years, more and more people have moved out into the forest areas to build houses, and because many of these people are wealthy, there is pressure on the forestry services to "get the fire out as soon as possible" to save these residential areas. But the negative effect is that over the decades, there is a growing layer dry undergrowth that is building, and thus providing fuel that gets stronger and stronger for when the next fire happens. Maybe, in a very odd way, this is good long term for the healh of the island. I hope so. Just trying to look for a possible silver lining in this current sad situation.
Thank you for giving us that wise perspective having lived on the island many years as compared to our videographers. Have any humans died? Have any livestock died? I’m reminded of the weeks and months of volcanic eruptions in Iceland and the lava flow going directly to the farms where there are cattle. Our sensitive European videographers are crying because the trees are dying in the flames, and yet we know that nature has a way of clearing out and regrowing, and that is healthy for the island, and their waxing poetic when it doesn’t really seem to be too much of a humanitarian disaster. is this just content for them to overdramatize with seems to be fires that occur fires that occur in the mainland of Portugal every year bad fires. I live in Lisbon. She better hold onto her poodle.
I remember walking through the mountain tracks and forests and local guide telling us, that the bushes that burn are non-native and invasive ones.. they are easy to spread the fires.. wonder if that is the case.. or it’s just the the way the life on this beautiful island goes.. the fires, the rains that create fluds etc Warmest wishes to everyone and to dearest Madeira and speedy recovery ❤️
Well done for covering this guys. Was gutted to hear that Madeira was on fire, hope everyone and the wildlife is safe. Madeira will regrow like always 🌿
Hey James. Thanks, brother! Madeira will definitely regrow. We will just have to make sure that this is the very last time, we allow wildfires to ever reach this size. Big hugs!
Thank you for sharing this very sad video. I do have to say that I really liked hearing your Portuguese. Well done for trying to communicate with the neighbors. You should be extremely proud of yourselves. @@joenandamalie
Our Daughter lives there with her Maderense Fiancee and family just below where the fires came to and the 11 days and so many thousands of hectares destroyed its devastating!! Thank you for bringing awareness to the World!! 🙏
As a local that moved away from Madeira back in 2008, I always enjoy your videos, but this one was gut wrenching, thank you for going out to report and update all the Portuguese away from home. Keep safe
Thank you for posting videos about the fire. I visited a few weeks ago and couldn’t find detailed news about it. This is horrible but thank you for what you are doing.
My heart is broken to what is happening on Madeira. Thank you for using your network to spread the word to help save the island You two are so kind, thoughtful and generous to have sent out this video. We pray for the animals and people of Madeira 🙏🏼
The fear and anxiety is something we can relate to As an Australian living in the east coast we are familiar with the fear and devastation of wild fires (bushfires).They happen every year and every 5 or 10 years we get mega fires that are quite catastrophic. Hope everyone is ok and the island recovers quickly ❤
Wildfires are always heartbreaking. I can understand your frustration and fears. Canada suffers every summer with devastating wildfires… (my cousin is a retired forest firefighter in BC)… right now the city of Jasper has been at the center of a huge forest fire. (Not unlike the fires they have in California). I hope you find the answers you want.
Sooo sad to see this happen again. We were there last year(Arco da Calheta) during the fires in October and it was pretty bad. When we get our place there we will definitely be helping out with tree planting and whatever else we can. Stay safe!
Thanks for making this video, you two. Joen, your photography is excellent as always. Simon and I hike all over these trails almost every day, especially ones straight from the house, and up into the center of the Island. Just heartbreaking to see this.. our hearts go out to everyone affected by this, and enormous thanks to the brave guys and gals fighting this beast.
PAY ATTENTION, PLEASE: This is beyond sad, it is tragic. Madeira has one of the most special types of forests anywhere on Earth - the Laurel, or 'Laurisilva' forest. This type of forest is actually a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They are unique, stunningly beautiful and utterly irreplaceable. Madeira has the largest remnant of Laurisilva on the planet. According to UNESCO "The Laurisilva of Madeira is an outstanding relict of a previously widespread laurel forest type. It is the largest surviving area of laurel forest and is believed to be 90% primary forest. It contains a unique suite of plants and animals, including many endemic species such as the Madeiran long-toed pigeon." Within the natural domain, this is a loss of the greatest magnitude. It is not only dear Madeira that is losing - it is also Portugal (something truly Portuguese, special and singular) and it is the world at large. I've been to countries across all inhabited continents, and for sure Madeira is one of the most beautiful places I've had the privilege and honor to see. Besides the sympathy of its people, what makes it even more striking are precisely all the gorgeous mountains covered by these lush forests and crisscrossed by 'levadas'. BUT THESE FORESTS MUST BE RECOVERED, no matter what. Why? Because Joen is totally right: added to the precipitous slopes, without the roots of all that luxurious vegetation containing the topsoil and loose rocks & boulders, huge areas of the mountains will come crashing down violently during heavier rainfalls. It will happen (it is a certainty), and it always ends up badly for people, property and nature. Look up "2010 Madeira floods and mudslides" on Google - 51 people were killed by colossal waves of mud and rocks, precisely because the slopes were not being stabilized by vegetation. I was there the year before, and I commented with my wife about the impending doom after observing those naked slopes (I should know that, after studying Land-use Planning). And, at the time, the affected areas were much smaller than they are now. It will be a triple whammy: loss of Laurel forests, loss of life and loss of topsoil. Indeed, after being removed by the rain and transported in vast mudslides to the valleys and to the sea, this topsoil won't be there to serve as an indispensable base for the plants to recover. What most people don't realize is that you cannot 'make' suitable soil overnight - it takes centuries, even millennia, to form a healthy, natural, organic, rich soil on such slopes. Moreover, both the soil and the vegetation 'trap' huge quantities of water and humidity. Without them, Madeira will resemble the arid, bone-dry places in nearby Canary Islands - and we all know how the Canaries struggle with a lack of water. Authorities, NGOs and others must act NOW. The 'revered' Cristiano Ronaldo should be 'harnessed' to this cause - his involvement would raise awareness to this grave situation, his money would certainly help, and he would benefit incommensurably his beloved island and his beloved fellow Madeirans - who would be safer and who would have a beautiful, luxurious island with a fertile soil, plenty of water, and plenty of nature. I will contribute with my money to the cause. I hope you will all contribute too.
I am so sorry for my neighbours in Madeira. This island has had so much bad luck during the last decade. There were floods previously as well. I 'm currently on vacation in São Miguel island where I grew up. There are no fires im the Azores but global warming is increasing the temperatures more than normal and tourists are taking over. Hope things get well soon in there.Big hugs for you all in Madeira❤.
Thank you for posting this video. I knew you would talk about the fire. I've been scouring the internet for news and updates and there just hasn't been a lot of news coverage or recent updates regarding the status of the fires and whether additional firefighting assistance is coming. After a few days I think the locals quit talking about the fires on the Facebook tourist pages because they don't want tourism to drop. I totally get why they would be concerned about that, but anyone who has ever experienced Madeira Island is worried for the people of Madeira and are grieving with you.
Thanks for your work, even being so sad. You said more (and truly) in 15 mins than all the media since the beginning of this catastrophe. So sad and revolting that politicians are trying to get personal benefits (image, etc.) from this horrendous fire with so many ramifications. Thank you guys, from the deepness of my heart. 🙏
So sad. I live on Maui and a year ago one of our most beloved world wide destination towns was burned down. People had to jump in the ocean to be saved. With up to 80 miles an hour winds, it all went extremely fast 😢we are still recovering and old Lahaina is lost forever
I wish it would be more that we could do.. but every little donation counts and I hope everyone who loves Madeira supports it as well.. Thank you guys for sharing the latest news and helping as much as yous can. Stay safe!! 🙏🙏
This is so heart breaking, We visited for the first time last year and we called it home away from home, Seeing this we just want to cry. We're visiting next month.
Just a small point, a silver lining I guess? The "old Forest" isn't in any real danger. It does really well against fires, it's actually a part of the reason the settlers cut it all down and brough eucaliptus here. Even if you wanted to burn it down on purpose it would be super hard. That forest actually PRODUCES water, it's crazy. The moss growing everywhere there takes water out of the air and feeds it to the ground, soaking the area. The local University was even studying how feasible it would be to plant it in other hot arid places in the world to use them as a ground water source (yes, the water we drink here is partially produced by that forest). Of course, there's more to it than "our ancestors screwed us by removing the old forest", but yeah, what burns now isn't native to Madeira to begin with, this trees and shrubs aren't meant to deal with this weather, and "fixing" it now will be a b*tch. Similar problem in all south EU. We need a massive decades long reforestation campaign... The native forest might not be feasible here in Madeira (grows really slowly and often fails to grow) but there's plenty other known species that do really well against fire. So yeah, this will happen again, but if we're smart our grandkids might not have to deal with this, and they'll probably still have Fanal.
Now brace yourselfs for floods and land slides when the heavy rains arrives. After a big fire, the soil isn't prepared or even permeable enough to take big volumes of rain water.
It's so sad to see again wildfires in this paradise! I would say it's important that they catch these people who creates so much suffering of people, nature, animals! And seeing that you've only one helicopter is ridiculous! If we have here in our region of Mago Maggiore wildfires, there are up to 4x Canadair CL-415 flying nonstop until the fire is under controll! Madeira has to invest in at least one of such aircrafts to prevent the island from further uncontrolled fires in the future!
Amalie & Joen: local/regional government is corrupt! 1 helicopter for the entire archipelago? They must be joking.... and at first they said that help from mainland Portugal was not necessary. But then, reconsidered. And mr. Albuquerque, aka The Boss, return from his vacation from Porto Santo to put his nose in front of the media. And then, after just 1 day of calamity, he returned to his vacations. Meanwhile, some people are sleeping (or trying to) in temporary pavilions or tents. It's a disgrace. Politicians in Portugal are terrible. What we've got and matters is the people, the same people you know and know to be good.
Unfortunately some people that start the fires in Portugal are connected to the helicopter business and they do that in order to make it possible for the choppers people to do their work and have their huge pay check. We all know that corruption is everywhere.
That's sad because its happening every year and there's no interest from our politicians, which doesn't make sense. This is the gold of Madeira, no one travels to see burned mountains ... We portuguese are very polite.
They need to understand the nature is what makes Madeira... Madeira! We went through the same situation last year but "thankfully" in more remote areas with less iconic hotspots being affected. This time around it's all the gold nuggets that have been burnt to a crisp. It's horrific!
We were in the same situation a few years ago in 2017 when the fires ravaged The Algarve.... our sky was brown with smoke for weeks =( I wish you luck and speedy help!!!
Its sad to live here in madeira during these fires but we gotta pull through together! It happens time to time i just feel like the government didnt pull their end well enough, prime minister didnt allow us to call for help from mainland portugal until it got out of hand so now we are stuck in this mess... Let us pray and hope it gets better
Thank you for sharing the latest development and please continue to do so. It's heart wrenching to see the news, and I can only pray that the sacred laurisilva forest not be impacted. Will be too much to take. Sending love and light to the impacted neighborhoods and people. 🙏Wake-up call for local leaders to think of how to combat natural disaster such as building reservoirs...
So many millionaires do live on Madeira but not even one of them does something, they could easily buy 10 planes or helicopters...that's the saddest part!
I know how sad this must be to see, but as a Portuguese (from the mainland), I'm barely affected by these images. I've lived through years of new record breaking wildfires and no systemic changes. Every year my grandparents' place was about to burn down, every year nothing was done about it. You might think this is such a tragedy and something will be done about it the next time. It wont. Portugal will stop burning down the day there is nothing else to burn down. This will be made political and blame will be shifted around, but change? Never. This winter there will be floods and landfalls, we know it will happen but I guarantee we will be surprised when it does, as usual.
@@gabrielrfg4852 I can't tell them, they are dead. In Portugal arround 100 people die from drowning every year, what are you gonna do about that? Empty the sea? There have always been fires, there will always be fires and would be a huge problem for the ecosystem if there weren't.
Thank you for this video, Joen and Amalie! I've been living here for the past 13 years and have seen a few terrible fires too. Having only one helicopter in the island, is kinda suicidal... I simply don't get it!!! Nature is very wise and it will find it's way of healing, it will take a lot of time. Madeirans must definitely learn how to demand things from the Government and how protect their island and themselves from situations like this!! Once again, thank you for the excellent video!!
Stay safe, and be careful about the first rainfalls in a month or two, there might be huge landslides because of this. It's very hard to control these wildfires with the current wind conditions. From the ashes, everything can be reborn and rebuilt, but loss of life can't.
Very Sad to see my island again like this, in Funchal we can see and have ashes flying around,. but like Joen said we will recover!! About the planes we can't use them because in Spain or Portugal continent they have a source of fresh water like rivers and lakes, here we would have to use the sea, when we use the sea we will spoil and contaminate the soil with salt water, but another 1 or 2 heli it helped a lot for us. In some part unfortunately, both our population and entities do not clean the lands and then we have this.. In the end We all need to do more to preserve and save this Amazing Island our Island. P.S. What drone did you use on the clip? Stay Safe, hugs.
Water bomber planes cannot operate in Madeira due to the specified mountains/ valleys / winds. You cannot drop water from 1km height. Even helicopters are very limited in what they can do in Madeira.
Not sure why water bomber planes can't drop from 1 km? I understand that extreme wind conditions make it problematic for helicopters, but we don't have constant extreme wind conditions. If we had five or ten helicopters we would have been able to manage the fires from the get go. Madeira needs advanced firefighting strategies and they should've been in place a long time ago.
@@joenandamalie the water will evaporate when dropped too hight. The other problem is that a water bomber will need to collect water from the sea and salt water will not be good to the flora in Madeira.
It‘s so hard to see this beautiful island is burning. 😢💔 It is unbelievable that Madeira have only one fireaircraft. Normally we would arrive at Madeira tomorrow (22.08) for 2 weeks, but i think this would be a bad idea !?
Pretty sure about it. They are too autonomous. Strangely enough that wildfires started at the same time when there were strong winds. What a coincidence!
I agree with you, the same happened in Hawaii a year ago. That could be why Albuquerque is so angry and is not speaking the truth. Only the politicians know what is really happening.
255 / 5 000 I felt a deep pain at my impotence... So much flora was lost, so many animals that died. It's not because Madeira is part of my land, the pain is also for all of nature that is dying across the planet. Thanks for the video.
hopefully this fire will be over soon. I am not super worried though. a few years ago the valley next to my house burn down completely and now it looks like it never burned in the first place given how green it is.
I lived in the western part of the US so I am very familiar with wildfires. These are actually important for the rejuvenation on the environment, though bad when they are human caused. Given the rainfall of Madeira there will be good news and bad new. Good that it will come back quickly compared to dryer places, bad in that there will probably be mud and rock slides when it does rain due to lack of vegetation holding in the soil.
The fact my uncle is a fire fighter and he didnt get called to the fire says it all... they are not even budging to come help the fires what the hell is going on ...
@@joenandamalie Yes my uncle is a firefighter in madeira and i live here too, i was on the phone with my aunt to ask if he was okay because of the fires and she told me he has only been doing shifts on the headquarters on his city and sometimes when there is a call from someone but not the fire specifically, im so confused with what is going on...
I don't understand why Portugal doesn't help with helicopter and plan? From the beginning and your video can see that the place of the flame was not large and all of that could be erased if portugal help as it happens in other countries.
I have lived on this island for 12 years and we have had devastating fires almost every year. The first year the fire nearly destroyed my house. Whoever or whatever causes these there is not sufficient funds to stop it. It is almost always in August so I would suggest not coming here in the summer.
Joen i m not sure but i think tests were made with planes to combat wildfires in madeira some years ago. I think it has to be helicopters and even the helicopters not always are possible to use due to the winds
The news a few days ago told that the central government offered to send help from the mainland, but the mafioso president of the regional government (who’s being investigated for a number of crimes) initially refused. And people are saying that now he is in Porto Santo. If that’s true…
Not in mountainous landscapes: Here’s how wildfires affect soil stability: 1. Loss of Vegetation: Wildfires burn vegetation that normally stabilizes the soil with its roots. Without this plant cover, the soil becomes more exposed to the elements like wind and rain, which can loosen and erode it. 2. Soil Structure Changes: The intense heat from a wildfire can change the physical structure of the soil. Organic matter that binds the soil particles together can be burned away, reducing cohesion between particles and making the soil more prone to being carried away by wind or water. 3. Hydrophobic Soil: In some cases, fires can cause the soil to develop a hydrophobic (water-repellent) layer. This can lead to increased surface runoff during rainfall events, which in turn increases the likelihood of soil erosion, landslides, and debris flows. 4. Increased Erosion: In the absence of vegetation and with looser soil, rainwater is less likely to be absorbed into the ground. This increased surface runoff can wash away the loose soil, especially in steep, mountainous areas, leading to landslides and significant erosion.
@@joenandamalie I’m going on indigenous history of the lands in Australia & over here the land flourishes after the smoulder where reseeded native growth prospers 🇦🇺👍
This cuts ones hearts open! One flame and there should be 30 planes heading to Madeira! It’s Madeira hurting themselves and because of their pride, don’t ask for help. It’s unforgivable
It can't be, Madeira doesn't have rivers or lakes, the water is all from rain, either planes or helicopters can't discharge salt water, it would ruin all the vegetation. It's better to burn it because it will end up growing than to send salt to the land and never grow anything again. But yes, of course, the President has a lot to explain!!!
@@joenandamalie It's looking better from Monte today. "The helicopter" was dropping water right on the other side of the mountain from us. The one.. helicopter...
@@joenandamalie I thought the fires might be out, but the helicopter is dipping it's bucket off the coast by Caniço for some reason... I'm not sure why it flies so far away to get water.
The real people responsible for this tragedy are on vacation in Porto Santo... And they are responsible because they didn't bother to create conditions to fight a fire of this size!
Joen & Amalie this isn’t the first time as you know, but I feel the fire brigade ain’t doing enough to stop theses flames. It’s getting out of control, but it didn’t need to if they acted quick enough. So sorry to say there is more to this that you are seeing or hearing. The government is at fault that’s all I can say. It saddens me to see my home and the people that have lost all their lives hard work 😢❤
Wow my wife and I were up there - the same week you were in NYC - I know it looks bad, but I lived in SoCal for 30 years and saw lots of fires ....it will come back. Now we're in Tomar, PT (we met you guys late in early Dec 2021 in Lisbon outside Chapitô à Mesa when we first got here!) ..lots of fires here, too but so far this year, not too bad. Be vigilant!
Hi Joen & Amalie, thanks for the video. I have donated. I have seen a lot of your video's. In september I am visiting Madeira for the first time and will stay in Punta do Sol. I hope the fires will soon end. Maybe in future a swarm of drones with containers filled with water can put the fire out?
Sad as it is it is normal to have fires in hot weather but obviously not helped by arsonists or careless people. If you scroll through Google you’ll see how many people have been arrested for wildfires in Portugal. Since a major arrest 2 years ago the Algarve has been relatively fire free up to now and all previous vegetation has grown back.
Yep. This island is done for. The whole center is a hole in it. Massive loss. Like 10% 15% of the entire island is gone yesterday already. So. Madeiras nature is massively hit. And a significant part of its beauty is gone
Please support the Madeira Wildfires GoFundMe: gofund.me/ae705c3e and the animal shelter @ajudaaalimentarcaes: tr.ee/O_DO4PAuWo ❤
Madeira is very poor when it comes to wild animals. At least not many animals died. It is very sad though.
@@BenKrauskopf-vr6il you must understand that animal culture here is very "oldschool" in the sense that many dogs are in chains and left to themselves around old palheiros and most houses in general, and that's why a lot of dogs have been saved during these wildfires. Check their instagram page. When it comes to animal life in general, sure, we don't have a ton of exotic wild life, but smaller creatures/bird nests/etc do count as death in our book.
The loss is mainly material. There's always a few animals that die but usually owners gather all their animals in a safe place. Forests need fires to grow stronger. In a couple of years all that burned area will be green again. What's amazing is that one individual caused all of this with his fireworks. It takes a 100% brainless man to launch fireworks under such weather. My opinion is that whoever did this should be sentenced to life in prison. Meanwhile, those in power that refused any help from the continent or from Azores when the fire could be controlled returned to their vacation as if nothing is happening. All of this is just mind blowing. I just hope everyone is ok.
I am a local and follow your channel. I can see from your frustration and sadness that there's a lot of Madeira in you, just like in us locals. What I can reassure you is that you are having the full Madeira experience and it is part of learning curve to live with it. I have seen many wildfires in my life, I have been told of crazy wildfires by my ancestors. I have been very frustrated and asked many questions but as I got older I just learnt this is how nature works. This island has an amazing regeneration capacity which I have seen too many times. First the dark will go away in a few months, then will come the bushes, then the trees.
To his point, one of the issues facing California and the Pacific Northwest is that when forest fires happen, the intensity of the fires are getting worse and worse. Now, the lazy good for nothing media blames it on climate change, which is a convenient narrative these days, but the real reason for it is that, over the last 50-75 years, more and more people have moved out into the forest areas to build houses, and because many of these people are wealthy, there is pressure on the forestry services to "get the fire out as soon as possible" to save these residential areas. But the negative effect is that over the decades, there is a growing layer dry undergrowth that is building, and thus providing fuel that gets stronger and stronger for when the next fire happens. Maybe, in a very odd way, this is good long term for the healh of the island. I hope so. Just trying to look for a possible silver lining in this current sad situation.
Thank you for giving us that wise perspective having lived on the island many years as compared to our videographers. Have any humans died? Have any livestock died? I’m reminded of the weeks and months of volcanic eruptions in Iceland and the lava flow going directly to the farms where there are cattle. Our sensitive European videographers are crying because the trees are dying in the flames, and yet we know that nature has a way of clearing out and regrowing, and that is healthy for the island, and their waxing poetic when it doesn’t really seem to be too much of a humanitarian disaster. is this just content for them to overdramatize with seems to be fires that occur fires that occur in the mainland of Portugal every year bad fires. I live in Lisbon. She better hold onto her poodle.
Tone deaf is the only way to describe your comment, pbohearn. The fire has taken 20% of the island so far. How obtuse can one be?
@@pbohearnThe laurisilva forest with trees that are hundreds of years old does not just grow back.
I remember walking through the mountain tracks and forests and local guide telling us, that the bushes that burn are non-native and invasive ones.. they are easy to spread the fires.. wonder if that is the case.. or it’s just the the way the life on this beautiful island goes.. the fires, the rains that create fluds etc
Warmest wishes to everyone and to dearest Madeira and speedy recovery ❤️
Well done for covering this guys. Was gutted to hear that Madeira was on fire, hope everyone and the wildlife is safe. Madeira will regrow like always 🌿
Hey James. Thanks, brother! Madeira will definitely regrow. We will just have to make sure that this is the very last time, we allow wildfires to ever reach this size. Big hugs!
Thank you for sharing this very sad video. I do have to say that I really liked hearing your Portuguese. Well done for trying to communicate with the neighbors. You should be extremely proud of yourselves. @@joenandamalie
Our Daughter lives there with her Maderense Fiancee and family just below where the fires came to and the 11 days and so many thousands of hectares destroyed its devastating!! Thank you for bringing awareness to the World!! 🙏
Shocked and saddened by this disaster. We were there just last week for the first time and fell in love with this beautiful island!😢
Joen & Amalie I thank you again from the bottom of my heart. Your caring goes a long way with our people. Obrigado ❤
As a local that moved away from Madeira back in 2008, I always enjoy your videos, but this one was gut wrenching, thank you for going out to report and update all the Portuguese away from home. Keep safe
Thank you for posting videos about the fire. I visited a few weeks ago and couldn’t find detailed news about it. This is horrible but thank you for what you are doing.
My heart is broken to what is happening on Madeira. Thank you for using your network to spread the word to help save the island You two are so kind, thoughtful and generous to have sent out this video. We pray for the animals and people of Madeira 🙏🏼
Oh no 😥. This is devastating to such a beautiful island. Thanks for keeping us informed.
The fear and anxiety is something we can relate to As an Australian living in the east coast we are familiar with the fear and devastation of wild fires (bushfires).They happen every year and every 5 or 10 years we get mega fires that are quite catastrophic.
Hope everyone is ok and the island recovers quickly ❤
Thank you for sharing. We are due to visit the Island shortly. Sending best wishes to everyone on the Island and I hope this is under control soon.
Wildfires are always heartbreaking. I can understand your frustration and fears.
Canada suffers every summer with devastating wildfires… (my cousin is a retired forest firefighter in BC)… right now the city of Jasper has been at the center of a huge forest fire. (Not unlike the fires they have in California).
I hope you find the answers you want.
So sad. Wild fires are so scary 😢 we love Madeira and walked all around that area it’s such a beautiful place. Really hope they get more air support
There's no such thing as wildfires. It's arson.
Sooo sad to see this happen again. We were there last year(Arco da Calheta) during the fires in October and it was pretty bad. When we get our place there we will definitely be helping out with tree planting and whatever else we can. Stay safe!
Thanks for making this video, you two. Joen, your photography is excellent as always.
Simon and I hike all over these trails almost every day, especially ones straight from the house, and up into the center of the Island. Just heartbreaking to see this..
our hearts go out to everyone affected by this, and enormous thanks to the brave guys and gals fighting this beast.
What is the website for the current fire map shown at 3:58 ?
PAY ATTENTION, PLEASE: This is beyond sad, it is tragic. Madeira has one of the most special types of forests anywhere on Earth - the Laurel, or 'Laurisilva' forest. This type of forest is actually a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They are unique, stunningly beautiful and utterly irreplaceable. Madeira has the largest remnant of Laurisilva on the planet. According to UNESCO "The Laurisilva of Madeira is an outstanding relict of a previously widespread laurel forest type. It is the largest surviving area of laurel forest and is believed to be 90% primary forest. It contains a unique suite of plants and animals, including many endemic species such as the Madeiran long-toed pigeon." Within the natural domain, this is a loss of the greatest magnitude. It is not only dear Madeira that is losing - it is also Portugal (something truly Portuguese, special and singular) and it is the world at large. I've been to countries across all inhabited continents, and for sure Madeira is one of the most beautiful places I've had the privilege and honor to see. Besides the sympathy of its people, what makes it even more striking are precisely all the gorgeous mountains covered by these lush forests and crisscrossed by 'levadas'. BUT THESE FORESTS MUST BE RECOVERED, no matter what. Why? Because Joen is totally right: added to the precipitous slopes, without the roots of all that luxurious vegetation containing the topsoil and loose rocks & boulders, huge areas of the mountains will come crashing down violently during heavier rainfalls. It will happen (it is a certainty), and it always ends up badly for people, property and nature. Look up "2010 Madeira floods and mudslides" on Google - 51 people were killed by colossal waves of mud and rocks, precisely because the slopes were not being stabilized by vegetation. I was there the year before, and I commented with my wife about the impending doom after observing those naked slopes (I should know that, after studying Land-use Planning). And, at the time, the affected areas were much smaller than they are now. It will be a triple whammy: loss of Laurel forests, loss of life and loss of topsoil. Indeed, after being removed by the rain and transported in vast mudslides to the valleys and to the sea, this topsoil won't be there to serve as an indispensable base for the plants to recover. What most people don't realize is that you cannot 'make' suitable soil overnight - it takes centuries, even millennia, to form a healthy, natural, organic, rich soil on such slopes. Moreover, both the soil and the vegetation 'trap' huge quantities of water and humidity. Without them, Madeira will resemble the arid, bone-dry places in nearby Canary Islands - and we all know how the Canaries struggle with a lack of water. Authorities, NGOs and others must act NOW. The 'revered' Cristiano Ronaldo should be 'harnessed' to this cause - his involvement would raise awareness to this grave situation, his money would certainly help, and he would benefit incommensurably his beloved island and his beloved fellow Madeirans - who would be safer and who would have a beautiful, luxurious island with a fertile soil, plenty of water, and plenty of nature. I will contribute with my money to the cause. I hope you will all contribute too.
Not only the fires, but when the rain season comes, with no trees, it will be tough.
I am so sorry for my neighbours in Madeira. This island has had so much bad luck during the last decade. There were floods previously as well. I 'm currently on vacation in São Miguel island where I grew up. There are no fires im the Azores but global warming is increasing the temperatures more than normal and tourists are taking over. Hope things get well soon in there.Big hugs for you all in Madeira❤.
Global warming?😂😂😂 lol where we are on Madeira is currently 18C and 14C at night.
Thank you for posting this video. I knew you would talk about the fire. I've been scouring the internet for news and updates and there just hasn't been a lot of news coverage or recent updates regarding the status of the fires and whether additional firefighting assistance is coming. After a few days I think the locals quit talking about the fires on the Facebook tourist pages because they don't want tourism to drop. I totally get why they would be concerned about that, but anyone who has ever experienced Madeira Island is worried for the people of Madeira and are grieving with you.
Thanks for the update and the support!
Thanks for your work, even being so sad. You said more (and truly) in 15 mins than all the media since the beginning of this catastrophe. So sad and revolting that politicians are trying to get personal benefits (image, etc.) from this horrendous fire with so many ramifications. Thank you guys, from the deepness of my heart. 🙏
I am so sad!! I love Madeira! I hope you get a huge rain!!
So sad. I live on Maui and a year ago one of our most beloved world wide destination towns was burned down. People had to jump in the ocean to be saved. With up to 80 miles an hour winds, it all went extremely fast 😢we are still recovering and old Lahaina is lost forever
I wish it would be more that we could do.. but every little donation counts and I hope everyone who loves Madeira supports it as well..
Thank you guys for sharing the latest news and helping as much as yous can. Stay safe!! 🙏🙏
Thanks for helping, Great!
This is so heart breaking, We visited for the first time last year and we called it home away from home, Seeing this we just want to cry. We're visiting next month.
Just a small point, a silver lining I guess?
The "old Forest" isn't in any real danger. It does really well against fires, it's actually a part of the reason the settlers cut it all down and brough eucaliptus here.
Even if you wanted to burn it down on purpose it would be super hard.
That forest actually PRODUCES water, it's crazy. The moss growing everywhere there takes water out of the air and feeds it to the ground, soaking the area. The local University was even studying how feasible it would be to plant it in other hot arid places in the world to use them as a ground water source (yes, the water we drink here is partially produced by that forest).
Of course, there's more to it than "our ancestors screwed us by removing the old forest", but yeah, what burns now isn't native to Madeira to begin with, this trees and shrubs aren't meant to deal with this weather, and "fixing" it now will be a b*tch.
Similar problem in all south EU. We need a massive decades long reforestation campaign... The native forest might not be feasible here in Madeira (grows really slowly and often fails to grow) but there's plenty other known species that do really well against fire.
So yeah, this will happen again, but if we're smart our grandkids might not have to deal with this, and they'll probably still have Fanal.
Reforestation of native species, yes!!!! Say it again…❤
Sending you so much love, and hugs and prayers 💚💚💚
Now brace yourselfs for floods and land slides when the heavy rains arrives.
After a big fire, the soil isn't prepared or even permeable enough to take big volumes of rain water.
we hope this finish fast.. we want our island full green again ... thank you for sharing and doing your best to get this better
It's so sad to see again wildfires in this paradise! I would say it's important that they catch these people who creates so much suffering of people, nature, animals! And seeing that you've only one helicopter is ridiculous! If we have here in our region of Mago Maggiore wildfires, there are up to 4x Canadair CL-415 flying nonstop until the fire is under controll! Madeira has to invest in at least one of such aircrafts to prevent the island from further uncontrolled fires in the future!
so very sorry to see this, I really enjoyed the video of the hike and it was such a lovely place. I hope it gets under control quickly.
Amalie & Joen: local/regional government is corrupt! 1 helicopter for the entire archipelago? They must be joking.... and at first they said that help from mainland Portugal was not necessary. But then, reconsidered. And mr. Albuquerque, aka The Boss, return from his vacation from Porto Santo to put his nose in front of the media. And then, after just 1 day of calamity, he returned to his vacations. Meanwhile, some people are sleeping (or trying to) in temporary pavilions or tents. It's a disgrace. Politicians in Portugal are terrible. What we've got and matters is the people, the same people you know and know to be good.
My vote for a president .
We need a good one
Unfortunately some people that start the fires in Portugal are connected to the helicopter business and they do that in order to make it possible for the choppers people to do their work and have their huge pay check. We all know that corruption is everywhere.
This is so devastating, extremely sad. I feel I have tears about to fall, trully trully sad
Thank you for making this video, guys!
I am so sad.I adore Madeira❤❤❤
Thank you for this video. You are right, the news haven't been showing everything. I am ashamed of our government! 😢
That's sad because its happening every year and there's no interest from our politicians, which doesn't make sense.
This is the gold of Madeira, no one travels to see burned mountains ...
We portuguese are very polite.
Didn’t Amalie say that it was started deliberately so what are politicians supposed to do except lock these people up longer.
They need to understand the nature is what makes Madeira... Madeira! We went through the same situation last year but "thankfully" in more remote areas with less iconic hotspots being affected. This time around it's all the gold nuggets that have been burnt to a crisp. It's horrific!
And what are politicians supposed to do?
We were in the same situation a few years ago in 2017 when the fires ravaged The Algarve.... our sky was brown with smoke for weeks =( I wish you luck and speedy help!!!
Praying all the people and animals keep safe! 🙏🏽
What a pity! I'm sure they will get the fires under control.
Thank you for sharing.
Its sad to live here in madeira during these fires but we gotta pull through together! It happens time to time i just feel like the government didnt pull their end well enough, prime minister didnt allow us to call for help from mainland portugal until it got out of hand so now we are stuck in this mess... Let us pray and hope it gets better
Thank you for sharing the latest development and please continue to do so. It's heart wrenching to see the news, and I can only pray that the sacred laurisilva forest not be impacted. Will be too much to take. Sending love and light to the impacted neighborhoods and people. 🙏Wake-up call for local leaders to think of how to combat natural disaster such as building reservoirs...
And yes, the heat from the fires can dislodge the rocks. That’s why road safety inspections are already happening in the affected areas.
So many millionaires do live on Madeira but not even one of them does something, they could easily buy 10 planes or helicopters...that's the saddest part!
This is extremely sad 😢 I can’t believe it happened to Madeira but whatever happened I’ll be their this Friday thank you to show us this !!!
Thank you for such an informative video. Bless you both and may God you and the whole of Madeira safe.
I know how sad this must be to see, but as a Portuguese (from the mainland), I'm barely affected by these images. I've lived through years of new record breaking wildfires and no systemic changes. Every year my grandparents' place was about to burn down, every year nothing was done about it.
You might think this is such a tragedy and something will be done about it the next time. It wont.
Portugal will stop burning down the day there is nothing else to burn down. This will be made political and blame will be shifted around, but change? Never.
This winter there will be floods and landfalls, we know it will happen but I guarantee we will be surprised when it does, as usual.
Fires are normal, part of the ecosystm. People have to adapt.
@@goyakat2211 tell that to the 66 people who died in 2017 at Pedrógão.
@@gabrielrfg4852 I can't tell them, they are dead. In Portugal arround 100 people die from drowning every year, what are you gonna do about that? Empty the sea? There have always been fires, there will always be fires and would be a huge problem for the ecosystem if there weren't.
@@goyakat2211 Why do anything, we'll all die at some point. Portugal is perfect.
Plant cork trees.
Thanks for your information Helped me donate but trembling now about Fanal They must save it!
Thank you for this video, Joen and Amalie! I've been living here for the past 13 years and have seen a few terrible fires too. Having only one helicopter in the island, is kinda suicidal... I simply don't get it!!! Nature is very wise and it will find it's way of healing, it will take a lot of time. Madeirans must definitely learn how to demand things from the Government and how protect their island and themselves from situations like this!! Once again, thank you for the excellent video!!
Stay safe, and be careful about the first rainfalls in a month or two, there might be huge landslides because of this. It's very hard to control these wildfires with the current wind conditions.
From the ashes, everything can be reborn and rebuilt, but loss of life can't.
Thanks you guys for caring!
Very Sad to see my island again like this, in Funchal we can see and have ashes flying around,. but like Joen said we will recover!! About the planes we can't use them because in Spain or Portugal continent they have a source of fresh water like rivers and lakes, here we would have to use the sea, when we use the sea we will spoil and contaminate the soil with salt water, but another 1 or 2 heli it helped a lot for us. In some part unfortunately, both our population and entities do not clean the lands and then we have this.. In the end We all need to do more to preserve and save this Amazing Island our Island.
P.S. What drone did you use on the clip?
Stay Safe, hugs.
Thank you very much for the video. It is very informative and inspirational
A minha terra😢 so sad, I live in Holland and I still have family there and I go every year to Madeira, my hard is broken 😢.
Water bomber planes cannot operate in Madeira due to the specified mountains/ valleys / winds. You cannot drop water from 1km height. Even helicopters are very limited in what they can do in Madeira.
Not sure why water bomber planes can't drop from 1 km? I understand that extreme wind conditions make it problematic for helicopters, but we don't have constant extreme wind conditions. If we had five or ten helicopters we would have been able to manage the fires from the get go. Madeira needs advanced firefighting strategies and they should've been in place a long time ago.
@@joenandamalie the water will evaporate when dropped too hight. The other problem is that a water bomber will need to collect water from the sea and salt water will not be good to the flora in Madeira.
Very sad,thank you guys for your suport by sharing this video .
So sad! 😢 great report guys! Stay safe
Thanks Artur!
Thank you! Finalmente encontro um bom video perto do acontecimento..
I commend you for this video! God Bless you Joen and Amelia . Love you guys ! 😢😢
It‘s so hard to see this beautiful island is burning. 😢💔
It is unbelievable that Madeira have only one fireaircraft.
Normally we would arrive at Madeira tomorrow (22.08) for 2 weeks, but i think this would be a bad idea !?
Looks like the WEF is targeting Madeira for smart cities
🙄
Pretty sure about it. They are too autonomous. Strangely enough that wildfires started at the same time when there were strong winds. What a coincidence!
wouldn’t surprise me at this point
I agree with you, the same happened in Hawaii a year ago. That could be why Albuquerque is so angry and is not speaking the truth. Only the politicians know what is really happening.
Obrigada from Hawaii
🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻for Madeira
255 / 5 000
I felt a deep pain at my impotence... So much flora was lost, so many animals that died. It's not because Madeira is part of my land, the pain is also for all of nature that is dying across the planet. Thanks for the video.
Os bombeiros deviam ter um piloto de drone assim para dar apoio. Existe zonas que o helicóptero chega lá muito bem e está simplesmente a queimar...
When are people going to learn that there's no such thing as wildfires, it's arson.
hopefully this fire will be over soon. I am not super worried though. a few years ago the valley next to my house burn down completely and now it looks like it never burned in the first place given how green it is.
Has it been getting hotter and/or dryer in Madeira over the last few years compared to historical norms?
I lived in the western part of the US so I am very familiar with wildfires. These are actually important for the rejuvenation on the environment, though bad when they are human caused. Given the rainfall of Madeira there will be good news and bad new. Good that it will come back quickly compared to dryer places, bad in that there will probably be mud and rock slides when it does rain due to lack of vegetation holding in the soil.
Hundreds of years old trees, the Laurisilva forest is not something that will just grow back
So sad 😢
Can you make a follow up video ?
The fact my uncle is a fire fighter and he didnt get called to the fire says it all... they are not even budging to come help the fires what the hell is going on ...
Your uncle is a firefighter on Madeira? How is he not being called in?!?
@@joenandamalie Yes my uncle is a firefighter in madeira and i live here too, i was on the phone with my aunt to ask if he was okay because of the fires and she told me he has only been doing shifts on the headquarters on his city and sometimes when there is a call from someone but not the fire specifically, im so confused with what is going on...
I don't understand why Portugal doesn't help with helicopter and plan?
From the beginning and your video can see that the place of the flame was not large and all of that could be erased if portugal help as it happens in other countries.
I have lived on this island for 12 years and we have had devastating fires almost every year. The first year the fire nearly destroyed my house. Whoever or whatever causes these there is not sufficient funds to stop it. It is almost always in August so I would suggest not coming here in the summer.
why is there not sufficient funds .....the tourist industry generates millions annually!
Joen i m not sure but i think tests were made with planes to combat wildfires in madeira some years ago. I think it has to be helicopters and even the helicopters not always are possible to use due to the winds
I’m on Holliday there and can see the fire spreading
The news a few days ago told that the central government offered to send help from the mainland, but the mafioso president of the regional government (who’s being investigated for a number of crimes) initially refused.
And people are saying that now he is in Porto Santo. If that’s true…
yes thats true!
Fire is great for land rejuvenation as long as it doesn’t hurt folks in its path, we see it in Australia every year unfortunately
Not in mountainous landscapes: Here’s how wildfires affect soil stability:
1. Loss of Vegetation: Wildfires burn vegetation that normally stabilizes the soil with its roots. Without this plant cover, the soil becomes more exposed to the elements like wind and rain, which can loosen and erode it.
2. Soil Structure Changes: The intense heat from a wildfire can change the physical structure of the soil. Organic matter that binds the soil particles together can be burned away, reducing cohesion between particles and making the soil more prone to being carried away by wind or water.
3. Hydrophobic Soil: In some cases, fires can cause the soil to develop a hydrophobic (water-repellent) layer. This can lead to increased surface runoff during rainfall events, which in turn increases the likelihood of soil erosion, landslides, and debris flows.
4. Increased Erosion: In the absence of vegetation and with looser soil, rainwater is less likely to be absorbed into the ground. This increased surface runoff can wash away the loose soil, especially in steep, mountainous areas, leading to landslides and significant erosion.
@@joenandamalie I’m going on indigenous history of the lands in Australia & over here the land flourishes after the smoulder where reseeded native growth prospers 🇦🇺👍
This cuts ones hearts open! One flame and there should be 30 planes heading to Madeira! It’s Madeira hurting themselves and because of their pride, don’t ask for help. It’s unforgivable
It can't be, Madeira doesn't have rivers or lakes, the water is all from rain, either planes or helicopters can't discharge salt water, it would ruin all the vegetation. It's better to burn it because it will end up growing than to send salt to the land and never grow anything again. But yes, of course, the President has a lot to explain!!!
crazy that people can get caught for this, seems like it would be easy to get away with
Omg 😢 it’s heartbreaking.
I live here and just sent in a donation. So sad.
Thanks!! 🙏🏼
From the ashes we will rise
Seeing the flames shoot up off the mountain on Saturday night was quite scary.
Yeah, and it keeps spreading!
@@joenandamalie It's looking better from Monte today. "The helicopter" was dropping water right on the other side of the mountain from us. The one.. helicopter...
Lol.. finally.. when we were there the heli was just flying around
@@joenandamalie I thought the fires might be out, but the helicopter is dipping it's bucket off the coast by Caniço for some reason... I'm not sure why it flies so far away to get water.
Tragic 💔😪🙏
The real people responsible for this tragedy are on vacation in Porto Santo...
And they are responsible because they didn't bother to create conditions to fight a fire of this size!
So so sad! It hurts to see this heaven burning! Thank god it hasn't reached stunning são vicente.
Joen & Amalie this isn’t the first time as you know, but I feel the fire brigade ain’t doing enough to stop theses flames. It’s getting out of control, but it didn’t need to if they acted quick enough. So sorry to say there is more to this that you are seeing or hearing. The government is at fault that’s all I can say. It saddens me to see my home and the people that have lost all their lives hard work 😢❤
Wow my wife and I were up there - the same week you were in NYC - I know it looks bad, but I lived in SoCal for 30 years and saw lots of fires ....it will come back. Now we're in Tomar, PT (we met you guys late in early Dec 2021 in Lisbon outside Chapitô à Mesa when we first got here!) ..lots of fires here, too but so far this year, not too bad. Be vigilant!
It can take centuries to regain biodiversity. This is Portugal, though, it happens every year. Dont get close to fires, though!
Hi Joen & Amalie, thanks for the video. I have donated. I have seen a lot of your video's. In september I am visiting Madeira for the first time and will stay in Punta do Sol. I hope the fires will soon end. Maybe in future a swarm of drones with containers filled with water can put the fire out?
Wild fires are normal and desirable, it will recover.
Shame on you!
Sad as it is it is normal to have fires in hot weather but obviously not helped by arsonists or careless people. If you scroll through Google you’ll see how many people have been arrested for wildfires in Portugal. Since a major arrest 2 years ago the Algarve has been relatively fire free up to now and all previous vegetation has grown back.
Devastating 😢😢😢😢😢 ❤❤❤
Cristiano Ronaldo
Could buy 12 helicopters.
He should retire from football and run to president of the islands.
I hope that is going to rain soon
Madeira fires, Mallorca floods….🤔🤔and so on…..
Where was Smokey the Bear?
Yep. This island is done for. The whole center is a hole in it. Massive loss. Like 10% 15% of the entire island is gone yesterday already.
So. Madeiras nature is massively hit. And a significant part of its beauty is gone
Cork trees can prevent fires to spread.