54,176 euros donated
In 2017, huge fires ravaged central Portugal twice in four months. The hills of the hinterland were hit by the deadliest forest fires in Portugal's history. Nearly 300,000 hectares went up in smoke in just one year. Abandoned pastures, unmaintained forests and the ubiquity of eucalyptus, a highly flammable species, facilitated the spread of the fire. In June 2017, BNP Paribas' Portuguese employees seized the Rescue & Recover Fund to launch a local emergency campaign.