West Flemish firefighters Thijs and Isolde help tackle Portugal’s wildfires

“If we can help, then we should,” Thijs and Isolde told VRT NWS.

The couple share not only their lives together, but also their passion for the fire service. They have been active as volunteers for many years. Thijs is even set to become a professional firefighter soon. “A dream come true,” he says.

The couple are involved with ERA (Emergency Response Alliance) Belgium, a young Belgian non-profit organisation that brings together (trained) volunteers from the fire service sector to support Portuguese fire brigades during the forest fire season.

The organisation has been in existence for less than a year but has grown rapidly. This summer, around 70 Flemish volunteers will be heading to Portugal, including five women. “And there’s also a waiting list.”

Helping out where the need is greatest

The deployment takes place in one-week shifts. Volunteers are accommodated at Portuguese fire stations and help with day-to-day operations. The aim is to provide the local fire services with extra manpower during the busiest time of the year.

“We go to fire stations where they really need extra staff,” explains Isolde. “Right now we’re heading north, where there’s a severe shortage.”

For the time being, the organisation is focusing on Portugal, but in the long term it also wants to become active in other southern European countries like France and Greece. “In Portugal, it was easier to make contacts, partly because we already knew people there from previous years.”

Thijs’s third summer

Thijs is no stranger to the Portuguese way of doing things. The volunteer firefighter has travelled to the country twice in recent years.

His first experience was intense right from the start. “The year I went for the first time, we’d only just landed when we had to go out on call straight away,” he says. “From that moment on, the call-outs came thick and fast.”

Last year was quieter. Due to wetter weather, there were no major fires and the focus was more on training and sharing expertise.

Things could be different this summer. According to Thijs, conditions are challenging once again. “It’s hot, dry and very windy there. Even the tiniest spark could be enough to cause a major fire.”

Not just firefighting

“It really is a two-way process,” the couple explains. “The Portuguese firefighters show us how they tackle wildfires and forest fires. They have a wealth of experience in that area. At the same time, we can share our knowledge about other types of operations.” Although communication is sometimes a bit of a struggle due to the language barrier.

“You can’t learn that kind of experience from a book,” says Isolde. “And whilst you’re learning, you’re also helping people.”

They believe this knowledge could also prove useful back in Belgium. Long periods of drought caused by global warming mean that wildfires and vegetation fires are becoming increasingly common here too.

"We know the risks"

The work naturally involves risks. Forest fires often behave unpredictably and conditions can change rapidly.

Nevertheless, the volunteers feel prepared. "You rely on the experience of your Portuguese colleagues," says Thijs. "They know the terrain inside out and are good at assessing how a fire will develop."

Still, danger remains very real. “You can never predict everything one hundred per cent. But that’s also true of call-outs here in Belgium. As a firefighter, you learn to manage risks.”

According to Isolde, the firefighters themselves don’t think about this all that much during an operation, much less than the people left at home. “In the heat of the moment, you’re focused on your task. That’s what you’ve been trained to do. But of course, the people at home also realise that something could always happen.”

The couple regularly visits a region in Portugal where friends own a property. That area has been threatened by forest fires on several occasions in recent years. “When we were there last year, we had to leave because the fire was getting too close. Ash was swirling onto my book whilst I was reading,” Isolde recalls.

A first for Isolde

The couple aren’t travelling to Portugal together at the same time of year, although that was originally the plan. “We’d planned to go together in September,” says Isolde. “But because Thijs is starting as a professional firefighter on 1 September, we had to adjust those plans.”

And then there’s the family aspect. “We’ve always said we’d only go together once the children were old enough,” says Isolde. “Our daughter is now 18. That does make a difference.”

As well as their commitment in Portugal, Thijs and Isolde also devote a lot of time to the fire service in Belgium, with training courses, drills and specialisations.

“Actually, volunteering for the fire service is more of a passion than just a hobby,” says Isolde. “Helping people, gaining experience and making a difference. That remains the core of why we do this… And perhaps we’re a bit mad.”