Portugal requested help from EU partners to fight a wildfire on the Atlantic island of Madeira that threatened a UNESCO-listed forest, according to France 24.
Lisbon plans to launch the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to reinforce firefighting with two Canadair water bomber planes. Regional government head Miguel Albuquerque reported that an additional 60 firefighters and first aid responders arrived from mainland Portugal, joining the 76 already dispatched since the wildfire had sparked on Wednesday last week.
The EU Copernicus observatory reported that more over 950 hectares of land had burnt in the previous 24 hours. A total of 4,392 hectares (10,850 acres) have been incinerated.
Regional civil protection chief Antonio Nunes said the flames had reached the Laurissilva forest, the largest surviving laurel forest on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Madeira blaze also reportedly disrupted the island’s main airport at Funchal. However, officials have stated that the facility is now operating normally.
The wildfire started in the Ribeira Brava district and spread to the Camara de Lobos and Ponta do Sol districts in the southern part of the island. About 200 people were evacuated from their homes to avoid smoke poisoning, but most have already returned.
Authorities said no homes were destroyed and no injuries were reported. Medics recorded symptoms of exhaustion among some firefighters.
