Summer heat has reached Portugal and, with it, wildfires, with the Vouzela blaze now worrying authorities and residents most. An appeal for help has brought some international resources to the scene.
The heat has arrived across the country and, with it, the wildfires, with the Vouzela fire currently causing most concern for the authorities and local communities. International assistance has already arrived and is on the ground.
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Two Canadair aircraft from Italy and 118 firefighters with 45 vehicles from Spain are, for now, the response to Portugal’s request for help, after the country activated the European Civil Protection Mechanism on Friday. Morocco is also expected to send resources under the bilateral civil protection agreements Portugal has with Spain and Morocco.
In the last 24 hours, nine people have been reported injured, two of them seriously, according to an update from the National Authority for Civil Protection (ANEPC), which has put the whole of mainland Portugal on alert between 3 and 6 July.
The resources that arrived in Portugal in the early hours of Saturday are concentrated on the Vouzela fire, which has been spreading since Wednesday, at a time when the country is facing intense heat, with temperatures expected to reach 44 °C in some areas.
The 118 firefighters and 45 support vehicles from Spain are already assisting Portuguese crews in tackling this blaze, and the aerial assets from Spain and Italy are “expected to begin operating on Sunday”, the European Commission’s spokesperson told RTP - Antena 1 (source in Portuguese).
“Europe stands with Portugal and its citizens who, once again, are facing devastating wildfires,” wrote the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on social media, confirming the arrival of European assistance.
The fire that broke out in Vouzela, in the district of Viseu, had already burned 11,000 hectares by 16.00 on Saturday (source in Portuguese). According to ANEPC’s website, at 16.00 on Saturday, 1,238 firefighters, supported by 411 vehicles and six aircraft, were battling the Vouzela blaze.
The Portuguese government has introduced special measures, including a ban on access to forests and restrictions on the use of certain types of machinery in rural areas.
