Portugal Asks For European Back-up To Fight Forest Fires

Lisbon, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Sep, 2024) Portugal on Monday requested support from its European partners as it battled forest fires in its northern region that have injured a dozen firefighters, local authorities said.

A string of blazes that broke out over the weekend in the Aveiro region have injured 12 firefighters, including two seriously, and forced around 70 local residents to flee, according to the civil protection authority.

Portugal -- which owns about 30 water bomber planes and helicopters -- called on European countries to send reinforcement.

France will deploy two water bombers as part of an EU cooperation framework Tuesday, outgoing interior minister Gerald Darmanin said.

Lisbon said it was also liaising with Madrid and Rome.

"The situation is not out of control, but it is very complex. Today will be a difficult day, and so will tomorrow," said national civil protection commander Andre Fernandes.

One firefighter died Sunday while taking a break from efforts to contain the fire near Oliveira de Azemeis, south of the city of Porto, the interior ministry said Monday.

Around 2,300 were battling 20 fires on Monday, with the country placed on alert from Saturday to Tuesday evening because of high temperatures and strong winds.

The risk level varied from "very high" to "highest" depending on the region.

Further to the south, at least two homes were burned in two villages in the Albergaria-a-Velha area, said mayor Antonio Loureiro.

"We already have houses in flames at the moment," he told Portuguese news agency Lusa.

Two other homes were destroyed in Cabeceiras de Basto, in the district of Braga, local authorities said.

Traffic has been halted on three motorways in the area, police said.

Drivers were told not to try to get to Aveiro.

"That is the best way to not to put lives at risk," said mayor Vitor Ribero.

Portugal has seen less wildfires than usual so far this year.

Some 10,300 hectares (25,500 acres) were lost to the flames by the end of August -- a third of what was destroyed last year, and seven times less than the average over the last decade.

Lisbon has upped fire prevention funding ten-fold and doubled the budget to fight wildfires since deadly blazes in 2017 claimed hundreds of lives.

Scientists say human-caused fossil fuel emissions are increasing the length, frequency and intensity of global heatwaves, raising the risk of wildfires.

The Iberian peninsula is particularly vulnerable to global warming, with heatwaves and drought exposing the region to blazes.