Government Downplays Aircraft Shortage on Year's Worst Day for Wildfires - Publico Report

On the year's worst day for wildfires, the Portuguese Civil Protection recorded 132 alerts, with dozens of fires across the Central and Northern regions. Over 2700 personnel, 870 vehicles, and 29 aerial missions were mobilized to combat the flames.

Despite the scale of the disaster, the Minister of Internal Administration dismissed the relevance of the number of available aerial means in assessing the effectiveness of firefighting efforts. This stance came as a wildfire in Arouca spread to Castelo de Paiva, threatening communities in both municipalities. By 8 PM, this was the most concerning incident, with more than 750 operatives on the ground.