The 2017 Extreme Wildfires Events in Portugal through the Perceptions of Volunteer and Professional Firefighters
This study aimed to explore differences in the perceptions of professional and voluntary firefighters regarding the extreme wildfire events that occurred in Portugal in 2017. We collected a sample of 185 participants, professional and voluntary firefighters, who directly participated in suppression...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Fire |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2571-6255/6/4/133 |
| _version_ | 1797605488254255104 |
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| author | Vittorio Leone Mario Elia Raffaella Lovreglio Fernando Correia Fantina Tedim |
| author_facet | Vittorio Leone Mario Elia Raffaella Lovreglio Fernando Correia Fantina Tedim |
| author_sort | Vittorio Leone |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study aimed to explore differences in the perceptions of professional and voluntary firefighters regarding the extreme wildfire events that occurred in Portugal in 2017. We collected a sample of 185 participants, professional and voluntary firefighters, who directly participated in suppression activities for the Pedrógão Grande and October 2017 wildfires in Portugal. They were on duty in 149 fire stations in the Central Region of Portugal. A questionnaire was sent via Google Form to participants, based mainly on close-ended and two open-ended questions. It was structured into topics concerning the characteristics of wildfire events, the problems that occurred during the suppression activity, the emotional response of participants to the events, the lessons learned, and the consequences. We found significant differences between the two groups in their perception of wildfire characteristics and their perception of the worst fires they had ever experienced. Some differences were found in their discussion of the suppression phase and their emotional response to fires. On the contrary, the two groups appear to be homogeneous when it comes to no significant changes after the deadly 2017 experience in terms of the fight against rural fires, organization, training, prevention, and careers. The results underline the inadequacy of the suppression model vs. extreme wildfire events, and also its limits from the point of view of psychological reactions and the perception of management problems occurring in extreme and complex events. There is a research gap and no examples in Portugal about the perception of firefighters of the complex flow of activities that characterize the suppression operation of extreme wildfire events. Our research fills this gap. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T05:01:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1d86b80096384e6192b5de764b71ee2a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2571-6255 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T05:01:48Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Fire |
| spelling | doaj.art-1d86b80096384e6192b5de764b71ee2a2023-11-17T19:11:36ZengMDPI AGFire2571-62552023-03-016413310.3390/fire6040133The 2017 Extreme Wildfires Events in Portugal through the Perceptions of Volunteer and Professional FirefightersVittorio Leone0Mario Elia1Raffaella Lovreglio2Fernando Correia3Fantina Tedim4Department of Crop Systems, Forestry and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, ItalyDepartment of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences (DISSPA), University of Bari, 70199 Bari, ItalyDepartment of Agriculture, University of Sassari, 08100 Nuoro, ItalyResearch Centre in Geography and Spatial Planning, CEGOT, Geography Department, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Porto, Via Panorâmica, 4150-564 Porto, PortugalResearch Centre in Geography and Spatial Planning, CEGOT, Geography Department, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Porto, Via Panorâmica, 4150-564 Porto, PortugalThis study aimed to explore differences in the perceptions of professional and voluntary firefighters regarding the extreme wildfire events that occurred in Portugal in 2017. We collected a sample of 185 participants, professional and voluntary firefighters, who directly participated in suppression activities for the Pedrógão Grande and October 2017 wildfires in Portugal. They were on duty in 149 fire stations in the Central Region of Portugal. A questionnaire was sent via Google Form to participants, based mainly on close-ended and two open-ended questions. It was structured into topics concerning the characteristics of wildfire events, the problems that occurred during the suppression activity, the emotional response of participants to the events, the lessons learned, and the consequences. We found significant differences between the two groups in their perception of wildfire characteristics and their perception of the worst fires they had ever experienced. Some differences were found in their discussion of the suppression phase and their emotional response to fires. On the contrary, the two groups appear to be homogeneous when it comes to no significant changes after the deadly 2017 experience in terms of the fight against rural fires, organization, training, prevention, and careers. The results underline the inadequacy of the suppression model vs. extreme wildfire events, and also its limits from the point of view of psychological reactions and the perception of management problems occurring in extreme and complex events. There is a research gap and no examples in Portugal about the perception of firefighters of the complex flow of activities that characterize the suppression operation of extreme wildfire events. Our research fills this gap.https://www.mdpi.com/2571-6255/6/4/133EWEPedrógão Grande fireOctober 2017 firesperceptionLikert scalePTSD |
| spellingShingle | Vittorio Leone Mario Elia Raffaella Lovreglio Fernando Correia Fantina Tedim The 2017 Extreme Wildfires Events in Portugal through the Perceptions of Volunteer and Professional Firefighters Fire EWE Pedrógão Grande fire October 2017 fires perception Likert scale PTSD |
| title | The 2017 Extreme Wildfires Events in Portugal through the Perceptions of Volunteer and Professional Firefighters |
| title_full | The 2017 Extreme Wildfires Events in Portugal through the Perceptions of Volunteer and Professional Firefighters |
| title_fullStr | The 2017 Extreme Wildfires Events in Portugal through the Perceptions of Volunteer and Professional Firefighters |
| title_full_unstemmed | The 2017 Extreme Wildfires Events in Portugal through the Perceptions of Volunteer and Professional Firefighters |
| title_short | The 2017 Extreme Wildfires Events in Portugal through the Perceptions of Volunteer and Professional Firefighters |
| title_sort | 2017 extreme wildfires events in portugal through the perceptions of volunteer and professional firefighters |
| topic | EWE Pedrógão Grande fire October 2017 fires perception Likert scale PTSD |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2571-6255/6/4/133 |
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