Pedrógão Grande. Displaced family with intervention plan

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The Social Security Institute (ISS) revealed this Tuesday that an intervention plan is being drawn up for the family, a woman and three children, who were displaced in the weekend fires in the municipality of Pedrógão Grande.

In a written response sent to the Lusa news agency, the ISS explained that “an intervention plan is being outlined with the participation” of the Social Assistance and Monitoring Service (SAAS) of the Municipality of Pedrógão Grande, the Coimbra Local Health Unit and the mother, “with actions in the social, health and education areas, with a view to allowing access to social benefits, health care (vaccination), school placement, among others”.

On Saturday, two fires broke out in the district of Leiria (one in the parish of Pedrógão Grande at 2:27 pm and another at 3:21 pm in the parish of Graça), forcing the evacuation of people from five villages as a precaution and the closure of several roads, including national roads.

According to the Sub-regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command of the Leiria Region, the fires began to be managed as a single occurrence and the fire was resolved at 3:40 am on Sunday.

In a provisional assessment, the mayor of Pedrógão Grande, António Lopes, said on Monday that two wooden houses were destroyed, one of which was home to a woman and three children, as well as a storage annex.

These are houses placed on trailers, which frequently change location, the mayor said, adding that, in the case of the family, Social Action and Social Security services are monitoring, ensuring food and goods, and the municipality will provide housing.

This Tuesday, the ISS confirmed that, following the intervention carried out in close coordination with the Municipal Civil Protection Commission, the SAAS, the Graça Parish Council and the Coimbra Local Health Unit, a “family unit, consisting of one adult and three children, of German nationality”, was identified, according to which their home was completely destroyed by the fire.

The Institute's intervention, "carried out, in particular, with the family unit in question, aimed to immediately guarantee accommodation, as well as food, clothing and health care," he continued.

According to the ISS, this family, who declined accommodation provided by the City Council because they had "support from friends who guaranteed them an overnight stay" on Saturday and the following days, was provided by those entities with "psychosocial support, clothing, diapers, among other goods."