Portugal Asks EU, Spain and Morocco for Support as Wildfire Risk Rises
Portugal activated EU civil protection and bilateral pacts as six wildfires burned and more than 2,800 firefighters battled the flames, officials said.
- On Friday, the Portuguese government activated the European Civil Protection Mechanism, requesting four Canadair water-bombing planes and Spanish Armed Forces support to address an "exceptional situation" of very high fire risk.
- Driven by an intense heatwave with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, more than 2,800 firefighters battled six wildfires across Portugal on Friday, with more than 11,000 hectares already burned.
- The fire in Vouzela remains the primary concern, with Civil Protection official Neves noting that suspicious ignitions at night suggest human involvement, or a criminal act, behind the rapid spread.
- Mainland Portugal faces a state of alert lasting until Monday, with authorities prohibiting forest access and pyrotechnic devices while reinforcing surveillance by GNR and PSP police forces.
- Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, speaking from Toronto, insisted the country is prepared for the tough season ahead and is utilizing full national capacity to manage the emergency response.
22 Articles
22 Articles
Striked by an intense heat wave, Portugal is preyed on Friday by its first major fires of summer, which caused at least nine injuries and pushed the government to ask for reinforcements from its European neighbours and Morocco. In Spain, a fire broke out on Friday near the Costa Brava tourist, resulting in the confinement of about ten communes of this area of the Catalan coast, which was very frequented in summer, the firefighters announced.
Large fires amid heatwave with 44s - More than 1,000 firefighters in the battle with the flames
A fire that broke out on the night from Wednesday to Thursday was always mobilising more than a thousand firefighters on Friday night. The country decided to activate the European Civil Protection Mechanism, as well as its bilateral agreements with neighbouring Spain and Morocco.
10000 hectares have already gone in smoke in the north of the country, which asks for reinforcements from its European neighbours and Morocco, while 1,000 firefighters are mobilized Hit by an intense wave of
Hit by an intense wave of heat, Portugal decided on Friday to activate the European Civil Protection Mechanism, as well as its bilateral agreements with Spain and Morocco to secure reinforcements in the fight against more forest fires.
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