Portugal has asked Morocco, Spain and the European Union to prepare additional firefighting aircraft as extreme heat places almost the entire country at very high risk of wildfires.
Prime Minister Luís Montenegro said Lisbon activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and bilateral agreements with Morocco and Spain as a precaution, rather than because Portugal had exhausted its own resources.
The outside support would allow domestic aircraft and crews to remain distributed across the country instead of being moved from one threatened region to another, he said.
“We are facing an exceptional situation, with practically the entire territory affected in the same way,” Montenegro told reporters on Friday.
More than 2,800 firefighters, supported by 864 vehicles and 32 aircraft, were battling six wildfires on Friday, according to Portuguese civil protection authorities. The largest was burning in the central district of Viseu.
Mainland Portugal will remain under a state of alert until late Monday as temperatures exceed 40C in several districts.
The measures restrict access to some forest areas, ban agricultural burning and suspend forestry work involving machinery that could ignite fires. Police, emergency medical teams and public-health services have also increased their readiness.
Portugal’s request concerns additional aircraft that could be deployed if conditions worsen. Reports that Lisbon specifically requested two Moroccan Canadair planes had not been confirmed in the Portuguese government’s initial announcement.
The decision reflects the wider regional nature of the heat episode, which has also pushed temperatures as high as 46C in parts of Morocco.
Morocco has previously deployed Canadair water-bombing aircraft to assist Portugal, including two planes sent during major wildfires in August 2025 after Lisbon activated the countries’ bilateral cooperation agreement.
Montenegro said requesting help before national capacity was overwhelmed would provide greater flexibility should new fires break out simultaneously across Portugal.
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