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- About
(Versão portuguesa abaixo)
Personal Experiences
''I’m Portuguese and fires were always around the corner. In 2017, me and my family lost everything—the dream became a nightmare. This year I planned to sell and move somewhere safer, but now the landscape is destroyed and selling is impossible. Through it all, the love and support from people has stood out for me.'' Luis, Monte Frio
''I came here 8 years ago to buy a slice of paradise. During the fire, six of us ran with buckets at 2 a.m. to save my house. The next day, one fireman walked through flames and smoke to put it out again. Seeing everyone pull together was beautiful.'' Rory, Argunto Valley
Help Us Rebuild the Benfeita Region After the Fires
On the morning of 13th August 2025, a wildfire broke out near Piódão, in the heart of the Serra Do Açor. By the morning of Friday 15th, flames had spread into the Benfeita area villages and valleys, burning through the protected Mata da Margaraça forest and Fraga da Pena waterfall. Within hours, homes, forests, and livelihoods were lost.
This is the second time in less than a decade that our community has been devastated by wildfires - first in 2017, when many of us lost everything, and now again in 2025. We rebuilt once. We are determined to do it again. But we cannot do it alone.
Why your support matters right now
We are families, neighbours, and caretakers of this land who have spent many years restoring these abandoned valleys, planting tens of thousands of native trees, creating permaculture gardens, and building regenerative projects.
Since 2017, we’ve organised our own fire response team, additional water storage reservoirs, lookout points, and communication systems, working to assist the local council (Junta) in responding to the fires.
These efforts saved houses and land this time around. But the truth is, many of us still lost homes, gardens, essential infrastructure and wildlife habitats have been decimated.
For people living simply, with very little financial safety net, recovery is almost impossible without outside support.
This is where you can make all the difference.
Your donation goes directly to:
· Families most in need — replacing lost essentials, repairing homes, restoring water, electricity, and solar systems.
· Community fire resilience — funding equipment, training, and vehicle repairs for our volunteer fire response team so we are better prepared for future fires.
· Post fire slope stabilisation - to prevent soil loss
· Reforestation —planting more fire-resilient native trees in place of eucalyptus and pine monocultures.
The impact of your gift
· €150 helps a family replace essential household tools lost to the fire.
· €300 restores a basic water supply to a household.
· €1,500 equips a vehicle with a water tank, pump, and hoses to protect homes and land.
· €5,000 installs a solar system to give an affected family power again.
Why this matters beyond us
This is not only about homes. We as a community are passionate about protecting the biodiversity here in the heart of Portugal, especially when 41% of the Municipality of Arganil’s native forests have been replaced by eucalyptus plantations that fuel these fires.
For more than 20 years, we have been bringing life, energy, and care to this region where most of the younger generation have left to the cities. These fires have tested us deeply, but with your support we can keep rebuilding and caring for this land.
Your donation will help families recover and ensure our valleys do not just survive, but continue to thrive. We long to make the Benfeita region a model of resilience and regeneration and you can be part of that.
Please give what you can today. Share this campaign. Support our community.
Who we are
This campaign is to raise funds for households with limited means in the villages and valleys
of Benfeita, Pardieiros, Monte Frio, Relva Velha, Sardal, Enxudro, Cerdeira and Vinho. We are a group of locals responding to the emergency, coordinating support to the community.
We are grateful to be collaborating with the disaster relief and development charity, AMURT UK for logistical support.
Thank you for your contribution. You are always welcome here.
Photos by Julien Dumont - https://linktr.ee/julien_photography
Ajuda-nos a Reconstruir a Região da Benfeita Depois dos Fogos
Na manhã de 13 de Agosto de 2025, um fogo deflagrou junto à aldeia de montanha do Piódão, no coração da Serra do Açor. Ao romper do dia da sexta-feira dia 15, as chamas tinham-se já espalhado às aldeias e vales da zona da Benfeita, atravessando a floresta protegida da Mata da Margaraça e a cascata da Fraga da Pena. Em poucas horas, casas, florestas, e meios de subsistência foram perdidos.
Esta é a segunda vez em menos de uma década que a nossa comunidade foi devastada por incêndios florestais – primeiramente em 2017, quando muitos de nós perderam tudo o que possuíam, e agora de novo em 2025. Reconstruímos uma vez. Estamos determinados a fazê-lo de novo. Mas não o conseguimos fazer sozinhos.
Porque o teu apoio importa agora
É aqui que podes fazer toda a diferença.
O impacto da tua doação
