2 - Extreme wildfires and disasters around the world: lessons to be learned

Abstract

In this chapter, the cases of the extreme wildfires and disasters that occurred in Portugal in 2013 (Picões and Caramulo) and in 2017 (Pedrogão Grande and Central Region), their fire environment, fire propagation, and impacts are described. The Portuguese experience is complemented with other cases that occurred in Greece, Italy, Australia, USA, and Canada, which are described following different fire management approaches. These cases put in evidence the complexity involved in managing these increasingly frequent extreme fire events.