The demographic dynamics observed in the national territory has led, in recent years, to an additional pressure from urban areas on forest areas. On the other hand, the ongoing urbanization process, based on municipal plans with provision for wide constructive admissibility (oversized urban perimeters) and devoid of public programming of interventions in the territory, with the consequent occupation of this based on dispersed and case-by-case licensing, boosted a phenomenon of urban dispersion, with the consequent (and frequent) location of isolated buildings in areas that, because they have not been urbanistically occupied (and are abandoned), are highly susceptible to fire.

The progressive abandonment of rural spaces and the aging of the rural population have also led to significant changes and destruction of the agro-silvo-pastoral economy, thus increasing the vulnerability of these spaces to forest fires and, consequently, also increasing the risks to the interface areas. As a result of the greater proximity between these two spaces, there was a strong impact of forest fires in urban areas, causing enormous material and human losses (fire in Coimbra in 2005, in Pedrogão on 17 June 2017 and the central region of the country on October 15, 2017). Recurrently, the central area of ​​the country, especially the district of Coimbra, has been severely affected by frequent fires at the Urban-Forestry Interface.