LISBON, SEPT 20 – Portugal is mobilizing the ‘biggest firefighting team ever’ to deal with forest fires that broke out on Sunday and continue to spread to the central and northern regions of Portugal, said the Minister of Internal Administration, Margarida Blasco, yesterday.
“In these most critical days, we have the largest firefighting team to be deployed in our country,” Blasco said at a news conference, referring to the massive deployment of personnel and resources.
According to data from the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority, 37,772 operatives, 10,639 ground vehicles, and 827 air missions were used to fight the fire.
The fire claimed seven lives, injured 161 people, and destroyed dozens of homes.
As of Wednesday, preliminary reports indicated that approximately 94,146 hectares of land had been scorched. However, data from Europe’s Copernicus system estimates that more than 121,000 hectares have burned across the country, with more than 100,000 hectares affected in the northern and central regions alone, accounting for 83 percent of the total area affected.
In light of the devastation, the Portuguese government has declared a state of emergency in all municipalities affected by the fire, announcing that today will be a day of national mourning in honor of the victims. – Xinhua
