A group of students from Almancil-based tuition group The Academy Tutoring visited the Bombeiros Voluntários de Monchique to thank the firefighters for their heroic efforts with the recent fires in the area.
Three students read out their hand-written letters to the Chief of the Bombeiros, Rui Lopes, who was visibly touched to receive them. He said: “We are very thankful to receive these letters and we will frame them in the fire station.”
As a result of their visit, the children got to see and climb in the actual, huge fire trucks that had been used to fight the recent blazes. The students were thrilled to be given a brief tour of the engines and were shown how the hoses worked.
The chief also provided them with the statistics concerning firefighters, aircraft and land damage.
Student Luca said: “ I wrote a letter to the firemen to thank them for being so courageous.” Student Daniella added: “Having walked in the area where the fire raged, I realised just how hard it must have been to put that fire out. Kilometres and kilometres of land burnt up. The land was devastated. You could still smell the ash.”
The students concluded their day by travelling to the very top of Monchique, the peak of Fóia, where they were able to see the path which the fire had taken and how much land had been affected.
“We are so glad that we visited to give thanks. I wrote my letter to the firemen for being very brave and courageous, it was a memorable experience,” concluded student André.
