Morocco will send up to four Canadair planes to Portugal to help it deal with the fires that have already reduced ten hectares of forest to smoke in the centre and north of the country, leaving families without shelter or resources. In a statement to CNNDuarte Costa, president of the Portuguese Civil Protection, specified that these devices should arrive on site this Wednesday to reinforce the exhausted Portuguese teams.
Read: Will Algeria accuse Morocco of being behind the new fires?
Spain, Italy and France have already sent two planes each after the Portuguese government requested help from the EU Civil Protection Mechanism on Monday. “We are in a critical situation, at the limit of our capacities, and that is why we are asking for help from the European mechanism, from Spain and Morocco,” Costa said.
Read: Morocco: Hundreds of Barbary macaques victims of forest fires
The wildfires in Portugal have killed a total of seven people, including four firefighters and three civilians, and have destroyed dozens of homes and consumed hectares of forest. The government has declared a state of disaster in all municipalities affected by the fires, allowing civil protection officers to access private properties. More than 5,000 firefighters are battling the blazes. In a statement, the Portuguese National Guard (GNR) said that seven people suspected of starting arson attacks in the districts of Leiria, Castelo Branco, Porto and Braga have been arrested since Saturday.
