Portugal deploys military patrols and arrests 130+ for wildfire offenses

The Portuguese Armed Forces are operating around 40 land and aerial patrols, including AW119 Koala and UH‑60 Black Hawk helicopters, to monitor the country's highest rural fire‑risk zones and support civil protection authorities.

The National Republican Guard (GNR) has detained 134 individuals this year for fire‑related crimes and intensified patrols nationwide, enforcing bans on smoking, open fires and other risky activities during the peak fire season. Since the start of the year, Portugal has recorded more than 4,500 fires that have burned 30,155 hectares, a 70% increase over the same period last year and the worst season since 2017.

Prisons currently hold 85 inmates convicted of forest‑fire offenses, while 20 suspects and convicted persons are under electronic bracelets during the high‑risk months of July to September, as mandated by law since the 2017 fire tragedies. The Directorate‑General for Prison Reintegration reported 55 sentenced prisoners, 30 pre‑trial detainees and 21 individuals in psychiatric care for fire‑related crimes.

The Institute Portuguese of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) has placed large parts of the interior north and centre of the country under maximum or high fire‑risk alerts, with several districts under red warnings due to ongoing heatwaves.