15,000+ personnel and 76 aircraft planned
The government plans slightly increased resources for this year's rural fire season, with about 15,064 personnel and 76 aerial assets expected during the most critical months, RTP reports. Officials say the deployment is a modest rise on 2025 and is intended to improve prevention and rapid response capacity. Those living in or visiting rural areas should follow local civil-protection (proteção civil) guidance and be ready for access restrictions during peak months.
Civil Protection (Proteção Civil) is Portugal's national system for preventing, preparing for, and responding to disasters and emergencies — from wildfires and floods to earthquakes and storms.
The system is coordinated by the ANEPC (Autoridade Nacional de Emergência e Proteção Civil), which issues warnings, activates response plans, and coordinates firefighters, police, military, and municipal services. During major events, the ANEPC can activate the SIOPS (Sistema Integrado de Operações de Proteção e Socorro), a unified command structure for managing multi-agency responses.
Portugal's Civil Protection framework operates at three levels — national, district, and municipal — each maintaining its own emergency plans. The system has been under ongoing reform, with emergency associations pushing for clearer single-command structures to reduce confusion between responders during major incidents.
During weather emergencies, Proteção Civil issues safety advisories, may close roads and access routes, and coordinates rescue operations. Residents should follow official ANEPC guidance and call 112 for emergencies.
Portugal plans more than 15,000 operatives and 76 aerial resources for this year, reflecting a seasonal surge in crews and aircraft for wildfire response. That fleet is smaller than those of larger EU countries, and Portugal relies heavily on volunteer firefighters and international mutual aid in major seasons, so people in high-risk areas should follow local alerts and evacuation instructions.
