Portugal: The country is on alert due to the fires
Portugal, which has been hit by a third heat wave since the beginning of July, is fighting several fires today while the country is on alert until tomorrow, Tuesday, due to an increased risk of forest fires.
This morning, almost 1,800 firefighters were battling to put out the flames in Portuguese territory, according to data from the civil protection service.
The most important fire can be seen in the Vila Real region, in Northern Portugal, and is spreading inside a mountainous zone with difficult access.
The state of alert, which was declared yesterday, Sunday, by the government, mainly restricts access to forests and prohibits the use of machinery or displays of fireworks to prevent wildfires.
It also aims to strengthen the mobilization levels of the dissemination services and their powers.
For today and tomorrow, Tuesday, the Portuguese Meteorological Institute (IPMA) predicts temperatures around 40 degrees Celsius in the interior regions of the country.
Portugal, which is experiencing exceptional drought conditions this year, has already recorded its hottest July in almost a century.
Since the beginning of the year, almost 940,000 hectares have burned in the country. This is the largest burned area since the 2017 Sonic fires that killed 100 people, according to the latest tally from the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests (ICNF).
The wildfire alone in the Serra da Estrella National Forest, a protected mountain region in central Portugal, has consumed more than 250,000 hectares of vegetation in recent weeks before it was declared under control on Wednesday.
Greece is helping with two aircraft
Our country has sent two Canadair CL-415 aircraft to Portugal, responding to the relevant request of the Portuguese Authorities, through the Civil Protection mechanism.
From the first moment of the activation of the request, by order of the Ministry of Climate of Crete and Civil Protection Christos Stylianides, Greece made the two aircraft available to the Mechanism, which have already arrived at their destination.
The Ministry points out that this summer alone, Greece, systematically supporting European solidarity with all available forces, has provided six times assistance to European countries to deal with forest fires. Specifically three times in Albania, twice in France and now in Portugal.
Source: APE-MEP