Article updated at 12.24pm on Monday, September 16
Portugal has asked the European Union for help to fight the wildfires ravaging the Aveiro district and to reinforce its capacities on the whole mainland, a source from the European Commission confirmed to Lusa on Monday.
A spokesman for the EU executive told Lusa that late on Monday morning a request for more resources had arrived from Portugal under the European Civil Protection Mechanism, at a time when fires are raging in Aveiro district and mainland Portugal as a whole is on alert because of the risk of wildfires due to high temperatures.
The commission source did not confirm the type of resources requested by Portugal’s government, but said that the proposal for resources is being assessed to match the request made.
When contacted earlier, the commission said that it was “prepared to help Portugal” in battling the fires and that all that was needed was for a request to be formalised.
The situation in Aveiro, particularly the municipality of Albergaria-a-Velha, is causing increasing concern, with several homes having already been consumed by the flames. Four people have been injured – one seriously – while authorities have cut traffic to three motorways (A1, A25 and A29). Wildfires are also raging in Sever do Vouga and Oliveira de Azeméis.
