Trapped on our property for 18 days and nobody cares

When the dream home becomes your worst nightmare

On October 15 2017 our region was devastated by the worst forest fires Portugal has suffered in recent history. When the smoke had cleared people and many animals were dead, houses destroyed and livelihoods had vanished in the flames. We were among the lucky ones. Part of our land, our garages and trees were burned but the house was intact and we were able to return home after a week of camping out in the nearest village of Côja.
As soon as we were able to return home we emptied our cupboards of all the clothing, blankets and household goods we could spare and donated them, along with food and money, to help those who had lost everything. Everyone pulled together to help one another and even insurance companies were quick to pay out so that rebuilding could start.
A good response all round was the impression we had.

Now, more than 5 months later, we find ourselves on the receiving end of the next “natural” disaster.
Unfortunately for us, we are the only people affected so there is no public pressure to ensure we get some help.
Almost three weeks ago the municipal road opposite our property collapsed onto our access road. The road was poorly maintained and in the aftermath of the fires it was used daily by huge trucks carrying wood down from the burned forests. The heavy rains of the past week have added to the burden and ultimately caused the collapse. Since it happened we have been completely isolated here, only able to leave on foot by clambering over the landslide. Civil engineers and local authorities have appeared in the distance to look at the damage and traffic signs have been erected to warn through traffic to slow down but nothing has been done to clear the landslide and our access road. And no one is interested in providing us any help or even in speaking to us in person to explain what is going on.
It seems that the local authority responsible for the road, Arganil Council, blames PT, the Portuguese telecommunications provider, for the landslide. They have been putting up poles, reconnecting homes with the phone and internet links lost in the fire. Apportioning blame beats taking action and we have become invisible.
The fact that we have been trapped in our house with no phones, no internet, no firewood is of secondary interest to the question of who will pay for the removal of the landslide.
Fortunately our stock cupboard has saved us from starvation but we are now running out of gas so that we will soon have no heating, hot water or the means to cook. The gas delivery truck cannot get to our house; no firewood can be delivered; PT cannot reconnect our communications until the landslide is cleared. If either of us have an accident or a serious health issue, there is no way to send in help or get us out.
We have written to the Council, engaged a lawyer to speak with the parties involved on our behalf but basically nobody is listening and nobody cares.

We embraced Portugal 12 years ago when we retired here. We pay our taxes, support local initiatives and the local children's home. In short, we feel that Portugal is our home and we are responsible for treating it as such. Sadly Portugal does not feel the same about us and has abandoned us.