The aircraft, provided under the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, "will be operationalised from Monte Real Air Base" in the municipality of Leiria, "will be part of the Special Rural Firefighting Unit" starting Friday, and will remain in Portugal until August 25.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, on August 15, Portugal requested the support of four Canadair aircraft through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism to fight rural fires. Sweden provided two Fire Boss aircraft and France a Super Puma helicopter, "accompanied by a five-person crew."

The Swedish aircraft arrived on Monday and the French aircraft on Wednesday, and all began operating the day after landing in Portugal, according to information released in recent days by the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC).

The four aircraft and one helicopter are in addition to the two Canadair aircraft leased by Portuguese authorities.

Mainland Portugal has been affected by multiple rural fires since July, particularly in the North and Central regions, amid high temperatures that led to the declaration of a state of alert on August 2nd.

The fires have caused three deaths, including a firefighter, and several injuries, most of them minor, and have completely or partially destroyed first and second homes, as well as farms, livestock, and forestry.

According to provisional official data, as of August 19th, more than 201,000 hectares had burned in the country, more than the area burned in all of 2024.