In the sun-dappled villages of northern Portugal, where pine and eucalyptus scent the air, a new battle is brewing. The government’s crackdown on wildfire risks, with fines up to €5,000 for landowners who fail to clear undergrowth, has ignited tensions. As the National Republican Guard (GNR) sweeps through rural areas, checking compliance with the June 1 deadline, farmers like Pedro Santos feel caught between survival and safety. “I want to protect my land, but the fines are crushing,” he said, standing amid his overgrown vineyard.

Portugal’s wildfire prevention laws, strengthened after the 2017 Pedrógão Grande fires claimed 66 lives, mandate a 50-meter cleared zone around properties. The GNR’s inspections, which began Monday, aim to enforce this, driven by memories of 2024’s blazes that burned 143,313 hectares and killed nine. Climate change, with hotter summers and drier winds, has made Portugal Europe’s wildfire capital, per the European Forest Fire Information System. Eucalyptus plantations, covering a quarter of forests, fan flames, while rural depopulation leaves land untended.

“We’re focused on prevention, not just fines,” said a GNR officer in Oliveira de Azeméis, showing a farmer the rules. Wet weather delayed clearing, but with a heatwave forecast to push temperatures to 40°C, urgency is mounting. The government’s National Plan for Integrated Wildfire Management, backed by EU support, pushes for “mosaic landscapes” mixing crops and trees to slow fires. Yet, for small landowners, the cost of compliance is daunting. “Hiring a crew costs €500—I don’t have that,” said Santos, 70.

The crackdown has divided communities. In Aveiro, where 2024 fires razed homes, some praise the push. “Cleared land saved my house last year,” said Carla Mendes, a shopkeeper. Others see it as heavy-handed. “The government should help, not punish,” said a farmer facing a €2,000 fine. The EU’s Copernicus data shows 2024’s fires emitted 1.4 megatonnes of carbon, a climate wake-up call. Subsidies exist, but red tape slows access, leaving many frustrated.

As fines loom, Portugal grapples with deeper issues: land abandonment and eucalyptus dominance. Experts like Miguel Bugalho from the University of Lisbon call for reforestation with native species. “We need landscapes that don’t burn so fast,” he said. The government’s €5 million fund for municipal fuel management aims to ease the burden, but rural trust is thin. Will fines force change or alienate landowners? Can Portugal tame its fire-prone forests? For now, Santos clears what he can, hoping to dodge both flames and penalties.

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