The Special Device for Fighting Rural Fires (DECIR) in the region of Aveiro for this year will be similar to that of 2024, according to Commander António Ribeiro.
“These numbers have not varied much because recruitment within the fire brigades has not been easy,” Ribeiro stated.
During the critical Phase Delta, from July 1 to September 30, the Aveiro region will be supported by 25 combat teams with 125 operatives and 10 support teams with 20 personnel, totaling 145 operatives.
Additionally, there will be 31 permanent intervention teams from the fire brigades, consisting of 155 members.
The region will also have four forest sapper teams and resources from the GNR, including a team from the Emergency Protection and Relief Unit (UEPS) that provides an initial attack helicopter based in Águeda, operational from June 1 to October 15.
These resources will be backed by 70 vehicles and air support. Besides Águeda, there are three more initial attack helicopters stationed in Vale de Cambra, Santa Comba Dão, and Cernache.
“Our goal is to succeed in the initial attack within the first 90 minutes, to control fires at the start with ground resources, with a minimum of three teams and helicopters. If we do not succeed, we then move on to an expanded attack with additional resources,” explained Ribeiro.
In an expanded attack, the region can also benefit from heavy planes and helicopters based in Viseu and Cernache.
The Black Hawk helicopters from the Air Force, intended for rural fire air combat, based in Ovar, will only join the operation next year as the crew training is still ongoing.
The commander recalled that, out of a total of 280 incidents in 2024, they achieved a 97.5% success rate in initial attacks, meaning incidents were controlled in less than 90 minutes.
The Aveiro district had the second-largest burned area in 2024, totaling 27,239 hectares, only surpassed by Viseu with 49,636 hectares. Most of the burned area resulted from three fires on September 15, two in Sever do Vouga and one in Oliveira de Azeméis, consuming a total of 21,986 hectares.
