PRESS RELEASE BY THE MINISTRY FOR HOME AFFAIRS AND SECURITY 40 Civil Protection officers to assist in wildfire-fighting operations in Portugal

The Civil Protection Department (CPD) is deploying two teams of fire officers to Portugal between today and 31 August 2026 to support the ongoing efforts to combat wildfires.

A total of 40 officers will take part in this international mission, carried out through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism.

The mechanism enables Member States to coordinate assistance rapidly and efficiently during emergencies, while strengthening Europe’s collective capacity to respond to natural disasters.

The two Maltese teams will work closely with the Portuguese fire and rescue services to reinforce operational capacity and provide direct support in wildfire suppression and containment operations.

Announcing the deployment, Minister for Home Affairs and Security Glenn Bedingfield said that the mission is a testament to the professionalism and capability of Malta’s Civil Protection Department.

“Our fire officers are renowned for their commitment, expertise and dedication. The fact that Malta has once again been called upon to contribute to an international operation of this nature reflects the confidence that other countries place in the capabilities of our Civil Protection Department. While assisting Portugal during this challenging period, we continue to demonstrate that Malta is a responsible and reliable partner within the European Union, always ready to show solidarity with countries facing emergencies”, said Minister Bedingfield.

This pre-positioning initiative is essential to ensuring an immediate response during the period when wildfire risk is at its highest. Its objective is to help protect communities, critical infrastructure and the natural environment by strengthening response capacity before large-scale emergencies occur.

The Civil Protection Department has extensive experience in international missions under the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism. In recent years, Maltese teams have been deployed to assist with wildfire-fighting operations in Greece, Türkiye and Libya, reaffirming Malta’s commitment to regional solidarity and cooperation in emergencies.

Despite this deployment, the Civil Protection Department will continue to maintain a high level of operational readiness in Malta through its network of ten fire stations and two maritime units, ensuring an immediate response to any local emergency.

This continued commitment highlights Malta’s dedication to multilateral cooperation in disaster risk management and its willingness to contribute its expertise, experience and resources to strengthening Europe’s emergency response capabilities.