Portugal Requests Help From Europe as Wildfires Rage
Portugal requested extra fire-fighting planes from the EU on Monday, to help tackle at least 48 wildfires across the country that have killed at least four people....
Facts
- Portugal requested extra fire-fighting planes from the EU on Monday, to help tackle at least 48 wildfires across the country that have killed at least four people.[1]
- Winds of up to 43mph, temperatures of 86 degrees Fahrenheit, and dry conditions have contributed to wildfires in central and northern Portugal. Over 1.1K firefighters are attempting to combat one wildfire in the northwest Aveiro area.[2]
- The European Commission has the power to dispatch firemen, water bombers, and helicopters under the Civil Protection Mechanism. Portugal can also get help from the Copernicus satellite imaging to track ground fires.[3]
- Portugal has so far dispatched 12 water-bombing planes, and has requested eight more from the EU. Spain and France will each contribute two planes, which had been set to arrive Monday afternoon.[4]
- Due to ongoing blazes, all of mainland Portugal is on fire alert until Tuesday. Lisbon and Porto have issued safety warnings and education has been disrupted in the cities.[3][2]
Sources: [1]Reuters (a), [2]US News & World Report, [3]Euronews and [4]Reuters (b).
Narratives
- Narrative A, as provided by Euronews. Thanks to climate change, countries such as Portugal will continue to be ravaged by increasingly potent wildfire seasons, which are slowly but surely beginning earlier and lasting longer. As long as this manmade crisis continues to exist, and Europe becomes increasingly warm and dry, countries such as Portugal, Spain, and Greece must brace themselves for widespread environmental damage and public displacement.
- Narrative B, as provided by Portugalresident. Although climate change has undeniably played a role in Portugal's wildfire disaster, there are a multitude of factors that must be considered. These events are the product of anomalous conditions that even scientists claim have never been witnessed before, while questions must be answered by Portugal and Europe's politicians as to how this catastrophe could've been better mitigated.
