The federation of forest owners defended the extension of the deadline for land cleaning from 30 April to mid-May, justifying that the work has been hampered by dry weather and fire risk alerts. There is yet another problem, the severe lack of manpower to carry out these works, at a time when prices have also increased.

"With these days stopped, the deadline for many situations will not be meet," said Luís Damas, of the National Federation of Forest Owners Associations (FNAPF). According to the official, in recent months Portugal has had little rain, the soil is dry and the atypical hot weather in April has led to alerts for maximum fire risks in many places, where it is not possible to carry out cleaning work with machinery.

"That there should be an extension of the date until 15 May, to give time, because there are many people who come to us, come to talk to the farmers' associations, who have sapper teams and with the contractors and sometimes they have to stay on a waiting list and there is no capacity to do everything," said Luís Damas.

"Landowners are aware that they have to do this for their defence and for the defence of their property," he stressed, stressing that in some situations it is "a money drain for the economies of people with few resources".

Pedro Serra Ramos, from the National Association of Forestry, Agriculture and Environment Companies (ANEFA), stressed that "companies are more prepared", they start working earlier "and are doing things with more time", which does not mean that, "in the good Portuguese way, everything is not doing last minute".