Portugal and Brazil roll out major forest‑fire prevention programmes

Portugal’s newly appointed head of the Integrated Agency for Forest Fires, Paulo Mateus, said the agency’s €600 million budget is split equally between prevention and combat. He highlighted a goal of conducting controlled burns on about 5,000 ha, the highest target since the agency’s creation, focusing on mountainous areas in the north and centre. Mateus warned that the summer will be challenging due to lingering heat waves and extensive damage in the central region, stressing the need for rapid clean‑up and strict monitoring.

In Brazil, the São Paulo state government launched the red‑phase of the “SP Sem Fogo 2026” operation, committing more than R$ 400 million to fire‑prevention, monitoring and response. The plan introduces an AI‑driven intelligence panel, a real‑time “Fire Wall” video network, satellite‑based early‑detection tools and a partnership with the Waze app for public reporting. Over 3,000 agents have been trained, 613 municipalities joined the drought‑contingency plan and thousands of fire‑fighting trucks, drones and equipment have been deployed.

Both initiatives aim to reduce wildfire risk as climate change intensifies drought conditions across the Mediterranean‑type ecosystems of Portugal and the Atlantic‑influenced regions of São Paulo.