Monchique’s fire department welcomed the arrival of one of seven firefighting helicopters made available for the ‘Bravo’ fire combat mission in Portugal, which ends this month.
Fire departments across the Algarve have already prepared their teams for what is expected to be a critical summer in terms of wild fires due to the hot weather and ongoing drought affecting the region.
Monchique Mayor Rui André said: “This fire fighting helicopter will allow us to respond quicker to a forest fire. However, it is the responsibility of the civil protection authority to ensure preventive measures against these disasters are in place.”
The most critical fire fighting period, designated ‘Charlie’, starts on July 1 and runs until September 30. A total of 9,327 firefighters, 1,310 fire vehicles, 44 aircraft and 237 control towers form part of the country’s firefighting resources for this summer.
