This chapter examines the vulnerability of non-human animals during wildfires, focusing on the Portuguese region of Pinhal Interior, which suffered catastrophic megafires in 2017. Drawing on data from participatory workshops with local stakeholders, we highlight the chronic invisibility of non-human animals in disaster management discourses and practices, despite their critical presence in the affected landscapes. By employing the concept of “ecologies of abandonment,” we explore how human activities and systemic neglect have shaped multispecies landscapes, where the vulnerability of animals mirrors and intersects with human vulnerabilities. We propose the notion of “entangled vulnerability” to underscore the interconnectedness of human and non-human experiences during wildfires. Furthermore, we argue that non-human animals contribute to fire management by “disorganizing” anthropocentric practices, thereby challenging dominant regulatory frameworks. This chapter calls for a reimagining of fire management that embraces multispecies organizing and fosters more inclusive, equitable, and effective approaches to disaster response.

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Organizing Ecologies of (Human) Abandonment on Portuguese Wildfires

  • Leticia Fantinel,
  • Verónica Policarpo

摘要

This chapter examines the vulnerability of non-human animals during wildfires, focusing on the Portuguese region of Pinhal Interior, which suffered catastrophic megafires in 2017. Drawing on data from participatory workshops with local stakeholders, we highlight the chronic invisibility of non-human animals in disaster management discourses and practices, despite their critical presence in the affected landscapes. By employing the concept of “ecologies of abandonment,” we explore how human activities and systemic neglect have shaped multispecies landscapes, where the vulnerability of animals mirrors and intersects with human vulnerabilities. We propose the notion of “entangled vulnerability” to underscore the interconnectedness of human and non-human experiences during wildfires. Furthermore, we argue that non-human animals contribute to fire management by “disorganizing” anthropocentric practices, thereby challenging dominant regulatory frameworks. This chapter calls for a reimagining of fire management that embraces multispecies organizing and fosters more inclusive, equitable, and effective approaches to disaster response.