Portugal’s Prime Minister Luis Montenegro has requested additional firefighting resources from EU members Spain and Morocco amid a heightened risk of wildfires during this heatwave.
The unusual move is not due to a lack of national resources but because of an “exceptional situation,” with the entire country facing a very high risk of fires, Montenegro said at a news conference. The Civil Protection Mechanism has been activated along with bilateral agreements with Spain and Morocco.
Mainland Portugal remains under red weather warnings from the IPMA, with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius in some districts. Authorities have restricted access to certain forest areas, banned machinery use for forestry work, and prohibited farmers from conducting controlled burns until late Monday.