The European Union aids Portugal in combating forest fires in Madeira
The European Union is lending a hand to Portugal in their battle against wildfires on Madeira island. Two firefighting planes, specifically of the Canadair model, and their teams arrived on Madeira on Thursday, as reported by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on platform X. "This is EU solidarity in action," she stated.
Portugal turned to the EU for aid on Tuesday due to the wildfires persisting on Madeira for over a week. As part of the civil protection process, the EU's Copernicus Earth observation program is supplying local authorities with satellite images detailing the fire's progression.
The latest report from Copernicus on X revealed that a laurel forest, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, was under threat of being engulfed by the flames. A substantial area, approximately 4937 hectares, has been scorched in this region so far. Over 200 inhabitants of the island had to temporarily leave their homes, but fortunately, no human casualties have been reported.
At the moment, the EU has a total of 28 firefighting planes and 4 helicopters ready to tackle wildfires. Furthermore, more than 560 firefighters from twelve EU countries can be deployed to back up national firefighter teams during an emergency.
Portugal expressed gratitude to the EU for providing assistance, with two Canadair planes and their teams arriving from the EU on Madeira on Friday, as announced by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The ongoing wildfires on Madeira, now in their second week, pose a significant threat to the Laurissilva Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with over 4937 hectares already burned.
