فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
RABAT – The Portuguese Ministry of the Interior announced on Monday that Morocco will send two Canadair aircraft to Portugal. This decision follows Lisbon’s activation of a bilateral cooperation mechanism after two of its own planes were grounded, to assist in the country’s fight against wildfires.
The two aircraft, expected to arrive on Monday, will be integrated into the firefighting apparatus until the end of the week, according to an official statement.
Portugal had initially requested aid from Spain, but the latter was unable to respond favorably due to the resurgence of fires on its own territory, the government clarified.
In Spain, a heatwave that has been affecting the country for a week has led to multiple wildfires.
By late Monday afternoon, Portugal was facing four major blazes, primarily in the north and center of the country, mobilizing more than 1,600 firefighters, 528 vehicles, and 28 aircraft, according to José Ribeiro, the national commander of the Civil Protection authority.
The fire mobilizing the most resources is located in Trancoso (central Portugal), where approximately 700 firefighters and five aircraft are deployed.
This fire, which has been burning since Saturday, has already destroyed about 8,000 hectares, mostly olive groves and vineyards, according to the mayor of the municipality, Amilcar Salvador.
A little further south, another fire, active since Sunday, is raging in the Covilha region, near the Serra da Estrela Natural Park.
The country is experiencing high temperatures, with mercury levels expected to reach 44°C on Tuesday in the south, according to the meteorological institute, and remains on alert until Wednesday.
Since the beginning of the year, approximately 60,000 hectares have already been consumed by fire in Portugal, according to preliminary data from the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF).
Experts consider the increasing frequency of heatwaves to be a consequence of climate change. The Iberian Peninsula is severely affected, with heatwaves and droughts that favor the outbreak of forest fires.
