Lisbon, Aug. 21, 2025 (Lusa) - REN - Redes Energéticas Nacionais told Lusa on Thursday that it had no record of any damage caused by the fires to its electricity and gas transmission network, almost 70% of whose infrastructure is located in rural areas.
"To date, REN has not recorded any damage to its electricity and gas transmission network caused by the forest fires that have ravaged Portugal in recent weeks," said the manager of the national electricity and natural gas systems, in a written response sent to Lusa.
With more than 66% of its infrastructure located in rural areas, which are part of the secondary forest fire defence networks, REN has been investing in the prevention and protection of its equipment against rural fires, and in 2024 it managed and cleared vegetation "in an area of more than 10,200 hectares, having contacted more than 36,000 landowners for this purpose," it said.
According to REN, through its reforestation programme, 4,553 hectares were reforested between 2010 and 2024, with the planting of more than 1.5 million trees, mainly strawberry trees and oaks, "increasing biodiversity and resilience to forest fires in the intervened areas".
The manager of the electricity and natural gas transmission networks says it has in place its Plan for Prevention, Alert and Action in the event of a rural fire, which provides for six prevention and surveillance teams, between 1 July and 15 October, made up of three members and a vehicle equipped with forestry sapper equipment to carry out initial interventions in fire outbreaks near its facilities.
During this period, REN technicians are also on standby throughout the country, monitoring the progress of rural fires that occur near energy transmission infrastructures.
On Wednesday, E-Redes, which is responsible for ensuring the distribution of electricity from the transmission network to the point of consumption, told Lusa that "the low-voltage (LV) [electricity] network, damaged by the fires of recent days, has been progressively repaired, with repair work still underway," in close liaison with the authorities, particularly Civil Protection, to ensure that the work is carried out safely.
Low voltage is the part of the network that carries electricity to end consumers, such as homes and small businesses.
The electricity distribution network operator estimated that there were still some unreported faults, "localised in distant villages, scattered around the municipalities where the fires are still burning most intensely".
Mainland Portugal has been affected by multiple large rural fires since July, especially in the North and Centre.
The fires have caused three deaths, including a firefighter, and several injuries, some serious, and have totally or partially destroyed first and second homes, as well as agricultural and livestock holdings and forest areas.
Portugal has activated the European Civil Protection Mechanism, under which it has two Fire Boss aeroplanes, with two more Canadair aeroplanes due to arrive on Friday.
According to provisional official figures, 234,000 hectares had burned in the country by 21 August, more than 50,000 of which in the Arganil fire alone.
MPE/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
