Sixty years ago, one of the most devastating fires in the history of Serra de Sintra consumed approximately 50 square kilometres of forest between September 6th and 12th, 1966. The fire started at Quinta da Penha Longa and spread to Quinta de Vale Flor, Lagoa Azul and the Capuchos, threatening historic monuments such as the Palace of Seteais, the Palace of Monserrate and Pena Park. Without aerial support and with communications failures, firefighters and military personnel fought the flames until exhaustion.
The fire caused the death of 25 military personnel from the Fixed Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment of Queluz, who did not have adequate training for firefighting. The bodies were found charred near Alto do Monge, close to the water mines, in a moment described as "shocking" by witnesses of the tragedy. The fire was only declared extinguished on the morning of September 12th, after rainfall.
This Monday, September 7th, 2026, a commemorative ceremony for the 60th anniversary of the tragedy was held, which included a mass at the Regiment's Chapel in Queluz, the laying of a wreath at Pico do Monge and a pilgrimage to the site where the military personnel were found. The space is currently marked by 25 cypress trees, each representing one of the military personnel killed.
The ceremony was presided over by the Honorary Director of the Artillery Arm, Lieutenant-General Morgado Silveira, and was attended by the Mayor of Sintra Municipality, Marco Almeida, and the Bishop of the Armed Forces and Security Forces, D. Sérgio Dinis, as well as former comrades and various civil and military entities. Sixty years later, the memory of the 25 military personnel continues to be commemorated annually.
