A year on, Serra do Alvão slowly heals after huge wildfire

A year after a wildfire burned nearly 6,000 hectares of the Serra do Alvão, between Vila Real and Mondim de Basto, including much of the Alvão Natural Park, vegetation is regrowing and tourism is recovering, though scars remain. Shepherds and residents describe lost pastures and depopulated villages, while local authorities have installed 125 surveillance cameras, cleared burnt trees, reseeded land and reforested affected areas with native species. Officials say full ecosystem recovery will take far longer than a year and are calling for reforms to land-clearing rules and the park's management plan. Tourism initiatives and a planned civil protection unit aim to boost prevention and attract visitors back to the region.