Volunteer Firefighter Maria João Carneiro, 24, Dies After a Tree Falls on Her at the Resende Fire, the Second Death on Duty This Year
She was struck by a large falling tree on Thursday night in Barrô and died at Lamego hospital. The President and the Prime Minister paid tribute. The Odemira fire, which reached Silves overnight, is now in its resolution phase.
Maria João Carneiro, a 24-year-old volunteer firefighter with the Bombeiros Voluntários de Resende (Resende Volunteer Firefighters), died in the early hours of Friday at the hospital in Lamego. She had been struck by a large falling tree while fighting a forest fire on Thursday night in Barrô, in the municipality of Resende, in the district of Viseu.
Paulo Santos, an operations officer at the national emergency and civil protection authority (ANEPC), told the Lusa news agency that she was seriously injured when the tree came down. She was given assistance and taken to Lamego, where she died.
The Liga dos Bombeiros Portugueses (Portuguese Firefighters League) said hers was the second death of a firefighter on duty this year. It added that 257 firefighters have died in service in the last 46 years.
The Resende fire
The alarm was raised at 20:36 on Thursday. The fire was declared under control at 08:18 on Friday, according to figures reported by Lusa. At that point 254 personnel, 74 vehicles and one aircraft remained on the ground to consolidate the area.
A local source told Notícias ao Minuto that "Resende is in shock". The source said Maria João Carneiro was widely known in the town, held a degree and worked in her field, and loved volunteering as a firefighter alongside her job.
Tributes from the President and the government
In a note on the presidency's website, President António José Seguro said he had learned "with deep consternation" of the death of a young Resende firefighter "aged only 24". He wrote: "Her death, in the fulfilment of her mission, an example of selflessness, professionalism and courage, represents an irreparable loss for the institution and for the whole community." He sent his condolences to her family, friends and fellow firefighters, and to the municipality.
Prime Minister Luís Montenegro wrote on X that he felt "deep pain and consternation" at the news. He offered condolences on behalf of the government and expressed solidarity with "all the firefighters who serve Portugal every day". The Ministry of Internal Administration, led by Luís Neves, paid tribute to all of the country's volunteer firefighters "for their spirit of selflessness, responsibility and unshakeable commitment to defending people and their property".
The Resende brigade changed its Facebook cover photo to black. The neighbouring Lamego volunteer firefighters said she "left in the service of others, keeping to the end the commitment to protect and rescue".
Odemira fire now in its final phase
Further south, the fire that broke out at 16:51 on Thursday near Nave Redonda, in the parish of Sabóia, Odemira, was declared in its resolution phase at 07:45 on Friday. Overnight it had spread towards Silves, in the Algarve, and reached São Marcos da Serra. The Alentejo Litoral civil protection command told Lusa that some concerns remain. At 09:15, 473 personnel, 164 vehicles, a Kamov firefighting helicopter and a coordination aircraft were still deployed. Two firefighters from Portimão were slightly injured on Thursday night in an accident involving a fire engine that was destroyed by the flames.
We covered the overnight position of both fires, and the injury to the Resende firefighter, in this morning's report. The live position of every incident is published by ANEPC at prociv.gov.pt. In an emergency, call 112.
