Lisbon, April 21, 2026 (Lusa) - Portugal's former head of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC), Andre Fernandes, said on Tuesday he was unaware of any "fire business" and told a parliamentary inquiry into wildfires he had never seen evidence to confirm such activities.

"I am unaware of any fire business," he said during a hearing with the parliamentary committee of inquiry (CPI) into Rural Fire Businesses, telling MPs that while leading the ANEPC, he never saw evidence suggesting these businesses exist.

"Throughout my experience, I never realised or perceived those facts and, therefore, I do not know if they exist or not," he said, repeating his standard response when questioned about the existence of rural fire deals that could constitute a crime.

He repeatedly answered, "I do not know" or "I never witnessed these facts" throughout the two-hour hearing.

MPs questioned him on whether businesses “linked to the perpetuation of fires, burnt wood trade, real estate speculation, or equipment sales influenced the blazes.”

"Can you confirm today that any act of fire may be associated, directly or indirectly, with economic interests or activity benefiting others over the public interest?" asked Social Democrat MP Sonia Fernandes. He replied he "never perceived such facts."

"Factually, I do not know," Fernandes replied when asked about possible links between purchasing equipment for fire prevention and fighting and economic gains.

He also said he was unaware that wind or solar farms had been installed in areas where forests had been decimated by fire.

Although the inquiry focuses on the period from 2017 to 2025, he answered questions about the period before the civil protection restructure and his resignation in March 2025.

He said his departure "had nothing to do with any disagreement with the government over management."

During the session, he acknowledged the merits of the Integrated Protection and Relief Operations System (SIOPS) and denied that it "creates entropy and is uncoordinated." He said civil protection "would always have a place in fighting wildfires" within an integrated system.

Regarding the creation of an "autonomous" national fire brigade command, he said the change "must be well-thought-out and structured."

He said that within ANEPC, where "90% of staff come from fire brigades," a way must be found to "take greater advantage of existing capabilities."

However, with 412 brigades integrated into humanitarian associations – the private, non-profit entities that manage most of the country's fire crews – he questioned how their participation in a national command would be legally permitted.

The former commander acknowledged improvements in air resource management, describing the capacity as "adequate for the territory."

However, he said he did not know why the 76 contracted aircraft were not all deployed in 2025, noting that media reports suggested an average of 69 or 70.

"That happens; during my term, there were also days when some aircraft resources were inoperable," he said, adding that while these resources were especially important for the initial response, "they do not put out fires by themselves."

Besides resources, he said firefighting requires solving "Achilles’ heels," such as forest management and preventive actions to increase resilience.

DA/LYT // ADB.

Lusa