Sweden Takes Action Against Major Wildfires in Portugal
Sweden actively contributes to firefighting efforts against major wildfires in Portugal under the EU's RescEU initiative.
Key Points
- • Sweden's team includes two fireplanes and seven members fighting wildfires in Portugal.
- • The fires have consumed 71,300 hectares since starting on August 13.
- • Magnus Eriksson emphasized the unprecedented scale of the fires in Europe.
- • RescEU plans to expand with twelve new fireplanes by 2028.
A Swedish firefighting team is actively engaged in combating extensive wildfires in Portugal as part of the European Union's RescEU emergency response initiative. The team, consisting of two fireplanes and seven personnel, is stationed in the Castelo Branco region, where wildfires that started on August 13 have ravaged approximately 71,300 hectares.
As of August 22, the firefighting effort is massive, involving 1,800 firefighters and 615 fire trucks, who have conducted 52 aerial missions to contain the flames. Team leader Magnus Eriksson remarked on the extraordinary severity of the situation, stating, "This is gigantic. We have never experienced this in Sweden."
The weather poses significant challenges, with temperatures soaring to 34 degrees Celsius and only a slight chance of rain on the horizon. The Swedish pilots are required to respond quickly, needing to launch within ten minutes instead of the typical 180 minutes required at their home base in Skavsta. They refill their water tanks at a nearby dam, releasing three tons of water per drop to effectively combat the flames.
This deployment highlights Sweden's commitment to collaborative firefighting efforts within the EU framework, with RescEU planning to enhance its resources by acquiring twelve new firefighting planes by 2028. The program aims to strengthen Europe's collective response to natural disasters like the current unprecedented wildfire crisis.