Portugal activates EU civil protection and calls on Spain and Morocco for firefighting planes as heatwave pushes temperatures to 44°C

Extreme heat and red alerts

Mainland Portugal was under a state of alert until late Monday, with the national weather agency IPMA issuing red warnings for 12 of its 18 districts after temperatures climbed above 40°C and, in some areas, hit 44°C. Authorities banned forestry work using machinery, restricted access to forest zones, and prohibited controlled burns by farmers. Prime Minister Luis Montenegro described the coming days as an "exceptional situation" in which "the entire country is facing a very high risk of wildfires."

The Vouzela blaze and other fires

A wildfire that started in the early hours of 2 July in the municipality of Vouzela, in the central district of Viseu, had consumed an estimated 10,000 hectares by Friday evening. Over 1,000 firefighters, supported by roughly 300 vehicles and eight aircraft, were still battling that fire alone. Four other significant blazes burned simultaneously in the regions of Setúbal, Arouca and Barcelos, each fought by at least 100 firefighters, while the national tally stood at six active wildfires, mobilising more than 2,800 personnel, 864 vehicles and 32 aircraft across the country.

The fire has already ravaged an area estimated at 10,000 hectares.

The fires left at least nine people injured. In Vouzela, a civilian suffered serious burns and three firefighters sustained light wounds; elsewhere, a second civilian was hospitalised after a fall, according to emergency services.

International help triggered

On Friday, Lisbon activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and its bilateral agreements with Spain and Morocco. Montenegro insisted the decision was not a sign that national resources were exhausted but a precaution to avoid moving crews from one region to another: "We believe it is better to receive support from our EU allies and closest neighbours than to divert resources from other parts of the country where they are currently deployed." Spain immediately made one of the two Canadair water bombers Portugal requested available, while Morocco was asked to dispatch another two. In addition, a Spanish military emergency unit of about 30 vehicles was expected to arrive within hours to assist with surveillance, reconnaissance, rescue and operational support, rather than direct fire suppression.

This is the first time Portugal has used the Spanish military device, and the cooperation is especially important at a time when wildfires on the Iberian Peninsula are more frequent and extreme.

A country scarred by fire

The current heatwave revives memories of the deadly 2017 fires that killed more than 100 people. Since then, Portugal has multiplied its prevention spending tenfold and doubled its firefighting budget, reducing the average burned area by roughly one third. But 2025 was the worst season of the decade, with 270,000 hectares of vegetation destroyed. This week's early-season blazes underscore how quickly risks can escalate.

France faces early fire season too

In France, the main active fires in the south had been brought under control by Friday, but their early occurrence prompted a warning from Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. A senior fire service commander appealed for greater public vigilance, saying climate change is a reality and that the season will be long for firefighters, "barely at the beginning of July."