Eight Portuguese Army soldiers are battling the flames in the Algarve, where a fire broke out on Sunday in Aljezur and has since spread to Lagos. The fire experienced “several reactivations” on Monday afternoon due to strong winds, a possibility noted by Civil Protection.
The Portuguese Army informed Notícias ao Minuto about their deployment consisting of two engineering detachments equipped with two D6 Bulldozers (each weighing 25 tons), two heavy transport platform vehicles, and two light off-road vehicles.
“The Portuguese Army is engaged in the Bordeira region, Aljezur, Algarve, with two engineering detachments to support civilian authorities following the fire that affected the area,” according to the Army’s statement. These detachments are involved in mop-up operations, including establishing access routes by opening containment and safety lines for indirect combat.
Initially, one detachment was deployed, but as operations progressed, a second was needed.
“This intervention strengthens the Army’s ongoing mission to protect and support communities, utilizing specialized engineering capabilities in highly demanding scenarios,” the statement read.
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