During the summer of 2017, UME collaborated on four different occasions with emergency services from our neighboring country to fight the hundreds of wildfires that ravaged the inner regions.
Deployments started after the Portuguese government activated the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism and following the Technical Cooperation and Civil Protection Mutual Assistance protocol subscribed between Portugal and Spain.
A total of 551 troops and 128 vehicles were deployed to Portugal during the four interventions, specifically to the wildfires of Pedrogrão Grande, from June 18 to 24, Guarda from July 18 to 20, Mação and Nisa from July 25 to 29 and Vila de Rei and Mação, from August 13 to 23.
Twelve Canadair hydroplanes from the 43rd Air Force Group complemented the Spanish Armed Forces deployment.
The mission of UME included personnel from the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th battalions with headquarters in Madrid, Seville, Zaragoza and León respectively, from the Emergency Response and Support Regiment and from the Emergency Signal Battalion, both based in Madrid.
Their four interventions followed the same procedure: arrival at the assigned zone in Portugal followed by a meeting between the Spanish liaison officer and the emergency director, who decided where to deploy the Spanish military personnel.
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