Lisbon, Jun 15 (IANS): Portugal has sent 140 Joint Operational Force (FOCON) firefighters to Canada to help the country combat its current forest fires, the Portuguese National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC) said.
The firefighters will intervene in Canada's province of Quebec in compliance with the Civil Protection Mechanism of the European Union (EU) and in partnership with 97 firefighters from Spain.
Portugal's Minister of Internal Affairs, Jose Luis Carneiro, said on Wednesday that most of the Portuguese firefighters are highly experienced volunteers, Xinhua news agency reported.
In recent days, more than 400 forest fire outbreaks have been reported in Canada.