According to Sapo news, the National Operational Directive (DON), which establishes the Special Rural Firefighting Device (DECIR) for this year, indicates that the resources are reinforced today for the third time this year with the entry into force of the so-called 'reinforced - Delta level', which lasts until 30 September.

Over the next three months, 14,155 personnel, 3,162 teams, and 3,174 vehicles will be operational, numbers that may increase if necessary, since this year's DECIR foresees the mobilisation of additional resources to respond to more serious situations.

In this situation, the number of elements in combat can exceed 20,000, a reinforcement that is made mainly by volunteer firefighters.

This year's DECIR foresees 70 air resources for this period, which is considered the most critical, which could reach 72 with the hiring of two heavy 'Canadair' aircraft, with the contract process still ongoing.

Of the total number of operational personnel involved, the largest number belongs to firefighters (8,061), of which 3,794 are from the Permanent Intervention Teams, followed by the ICNF (2,430), the GNR (1,946) and the Special Civil Protection Force (216), according to DON.

The combat equipment for this year increased slightly compared to 2023, with the exception of aerial resources, whose number is identical, with 261 more operational personnel, 78 more teams, and 183 more vehicles fighting fires.

Provisional data from the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF) indicate that since the beginning of the year, 1,796 rural fires have broken out, consuming around 2,918 hectares, 56% of which were scrubland, 19% forest stands, and 25% agricultural land.