Portugal confirms support of Spanish military to reinforce fight against fires

Portugal has confirmed the imminent arrival of a specialized Spanish military unit to bolster its efforts against escalating forest fires. The contingent, comprising around thirty vehicles, will provide crucial support within the framework of the European Civil Protection Mechanism and bilateral agreements with Spain and Morocco.

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The Spanish contingent will be formed by a Spanish military emergency unit, with about thirty vehicles, and specified that it will not work directly in extinguishing the flames, but will carry out surveillance, reconnaissance, rescue and operational support tasks, capabilities that it considered essential in the current scenario.

According to Rui Rocha, Secretary of State for Civil Protection, the Spanish unit will not be directly involved in extinguishing flames. Instead, their role will encompass vital tasks such as surveillance, reconnaissance, rescue operations, and overall operational support. Rocha emphasized the essential nature of these capabilities in the current critical scenario, marked by high temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds.

This deployment signifies a significant step in bilateral cooperation, as it is the first time Portugal has requested and received military assistance from Spain specifically for fire operations. Rocha highlighted the importance of this collaboration, especially given the increasing frequency and intensity of forest fires across the Iberian Peninsula.

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This is the first time that Portugal has resorted to the military device sent by Spain and underlined that cooperation between the two countries is especially important in a context in which forest fires are becoming increasingly frequent and extreme on the Iberian Peninsula.

The Portuguese government activated the European Civil Protection Mechanism and bilateral agreements due to the high risk facing the entire country. While national resources are not exhausted, the decision aims to proactively reinforce the response system. Rocha described the situation as "very critical," stressing the need for rapid detection and attack of fire outbreaks to prevent their spread, particularly in the northern and central interior regions where the risk remains elevated.

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very critical