Portugal activates European Civil Protection Mechanism due to wildfires

Prime Minister Luís Montenegro announced this afternoon that Portugal has already activated the European Civil Protection Mechanism and its partnerships with Morocco and Spain due to the high wildfire alert level.

“We decided to activate the European Civil Protection Mechanism and also the bilateral agreements with Spain and Morocco, not because our capacity has been exhausted, but because our entire territory is under a very high risk,” he said at the end of the Council of Ministers meeting held in Guimarães.

According to the prime minister, during the meeting, the Minister of Internal Administration “provided an update on the active wildfires in the country.”

This decision contrasts markedly with the delay in activating this special mechanism last year, which led to terrible forestry losses as a result – but it is more than necessary, given the atmospheric conditions, the number of rural fires already blazing and the resources already being fully employed.

source material: LUSA

Natasha Donn

Journalist for the Portugal Resident.