Fleet to be deployed in strategic locations, ready to help tackle forest fires
Portugal is contributing two light aeroplanes to the European Union’s (EU) special summer fleet for fighting forest fires. This is part of a prevention plan, which will also deploy 556 firefighters from 12 countries in strategic locations.
According to a statement released by the European Commission today, these strategic locations include Portugal, Spain, France and Greece.
The fleet will consist of 28 firefighting planes and four helicopters from 10 Member States.
The Commission has also earmarked €600 million in funds to facilitate the acquisition of 12 further aircraft, which will be shared between six countries in the bloc.
Last year saw one of the worst forest wildfire seasons ever recorded in the EU, thus the creation of this special summer strategy.
The EU Civil Protection Mechanism (in which reinforcements in terms of personnel and machinery are offered) was activated 10 times last year, calling on the bloc to help firefighting in Member States, participants (Iceland, Norway, Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Turkey, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania, Moldova and Ukraine) and even third countries, including Chile, Bolivia and Canada.
Source material: LUSA
