Forty officers from Malta’s Civil Protection Department are being deployed to Portugal to support wildfire-fighting operations between 3 and 31 August 2026.

The international mission will involve two teams and is being carried out through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism. The mechanism enables Member States to coordinate assistance rapidly when a country is facing a natural disaster or a large-scale emergency. It allows European countries to share personnel, equipment and specialised expertise according to the needs of the affected state.

The Maltese officers will work alongside Portuguese fire and rescue services. They will provide direct support in wildfire suppression, containment and control operations, while reinforcing local operational capacity during one of the periods of the year with the highest wildfire risk.

This pre-positioning initiative is intended to ensure that trained personnel are available in the country before major emergencies develop. A stronger and faster response can help protect communities, critical infrastructure and the natural environment from the effects of widespread fires.

The Civil Protection Department has experience in similar missions carried out through the European Union mechanism. In recent years, Maltese teams have assisted with wildfire-fighting and emergency response operations in Greece, Türkiye and Libya. These deployments allow officers to strengthen their experience in complex operations.

Despite the deployment to Portugal, the Department will continue to maintain a high level of operational readiness in Malta. Its network of ten fire stations and two maritime units will remain operational to ensure an immediate response to local emergencies throughout the deployment period.