Portugal has asked EU partners to help extinguish a major forest fire on the island of Madeira that threatens to destroy a laurel forest included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, UNN reports citing DW.
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"In the near future, we will activate the EU civil protection mechanism," Portuguese news agency Lusa quoted its government sources as saying on Wednesday, August 21.
According to Lusa on August 22, two Canadair firefighting aircraft requested by the Portuguese government from the European Union under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism are already in Porto Santo and should start operating today.
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The fire on Madeira Island began on August 14 in the municipality of Ribeira Brava, after which it spread to the neighboring municipalities of Camara de Lobos and Ponta do Sol to the west of the capital of the autonomous region and the seaport of Funchal due to strong winds. According to data from Copernicus satellites, as of August 20, 4392 hectares of the island's territory had burned as a result of the fire.
About 200 people were evacuated from the area of the fire because of the risk of smoke poisoning, local authorities said. There were no reports of injuries or deaths.
In an interview with the Portuguese radio station RTP, the president of the regional civil protection service, Antonio Nunes, said that the damage caused by the fire is not yet significant, but the fire is rapidly approaching the protected forest area.