Portugal appeals to EU partners for assistance in fighting wildfire on Madeira island

On Wednesday, Portugal reached out to its EU partners for help in combating a wildfire on the Atlantic island of Madeira, which has been burning for a week and poses a threat to a UNESCO-listed forest.

The country is set to activate the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to enhance firefighting efforts with the deployment of two Canadair water bomber planes, according to a government source.

Miguel Albuquerque, the head of the regional government, reported that an additional 60 firefighters and first aid specialists have arrived from the Portuguese mainland, joining the 76 already dispatched since the wildfire began last Wednesday.

Last year, thousands of hectares of vegetation were destroyed by a wildfire, and at least three people lost their lives in a 2016 wildfire near Funchal, the main city.