Rabat – Portugal faces another tragic loss as wildfires continue to sweep across the north and center of the country.
A firefighter died on Sunday in a road accident while on duty, leaving two of his colleagues seriously injured, the government announced.
Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa paid tribute to their courage, saluting what he called their “uninterrupted dedication.”
The accident raised the death toll to two since late July. On Friday, a former mayor lost his life while battling flames in the eastern district of Guarda.
Two firefighting aircraft from Sweden are expected, while Morocco’s Canadair planes, sent last week, remain on duty until Wednesday, Morocco’s Interior Minister Maria Lucia Amaral confirmed.
Close to 2,000 firefighters remain deployed on several fronts. The fire in Arganil, in central Portugal, has drawn the largest mobilization, with about half of the total workforce concentrated there.
In addition to Morocco, the Portuguese government has also turned to the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism for support, in line with neighboring Spain.
Authorities extended exceptional preventive measures until Tuesday. Access to certain forest areas is restricted, and activities such as fireworks remain prohibited.
So far this year, wildfires have ravaged nearly 185,000 hectares of land, already exceeding the area destroyed in 2024, according to provisional data from the national forestry institute.
Experts link the severity of the crisis to climate change, pointing to repeated heatwaves and droughts that have left the Iberian Peninsula particularly vulnerable.
Morocco faces its own wildfire challenges in Chefchaouen province, specifically affecting large forest areas of Dardara and Bab Taza. Authorities initially declared the blaze fully contained, but reported yesterday that it had reignited in some areas, urging residents to remain cautious.
