Water bombers arrive on Portuguese island of Madeira

Two European Union firefighting aircraft arrived on the Portuguese Island of Madeira on Thursday where firefighters continue to battle a wildfire near the district of Ribeira Brava.

The planes were deployed from Spain earlier in the day after Portugal requested help on Wednesday evening under the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism.

The aircraft will assist local authorities in combating the fires and provide essential aerial support in what are challenging conditions.

Last week the EU activated its Copernicus satellite system at Lisbon’s request, to help monitor the blaze which has raged for a week and threatens a UNESCO-listed forest.

In a post on X, the observatory said the fire had already burned 4,937 hectares of land by lunchtime on Wednesday, while 545 hectares had burned in the previous 24 hours.

The European Commission said it is closely monitoring the situation and is prepared to dispatch additional resources if necessary.

Around 150 firefighters have been battling the blaze on two main fronts on the island which is traditionally packed with tourists at this time of the year.

The fire started in the Ribeira Brava district and has since spread to the nearby districts of Camara de Lobos and Ponta do Sol in the southern part of the island.

Local authorities said on Wednesday that the raging blaze was burning in areas that are difficult for firefighters to access.

Firefighting efforts have been hampered by the wind, which has now died down, and high temperatures, but there have been no reports of damage to homes or essential infrastructure.