“We are very concerned because this is the first time in a few years that we do not have helicopters in Grândola”, in the district of Setúbal, warned the mayor, António Figueira Mendes (CDU), in statements to the Lusa news agency.

In addition to this aerial resource being “coverage for the entire Alentejo coast”, the mayor of Grândola added that the helicopter planned for the municipality of Ourique, in the district of Beja, is also “not in place”.

“It is a worrying situation, considering the summer season, which is expected to be difficult in terms of rural fires”, he lamented.

Ourique and Grândola are not unique cases in Alentejo, because the helicopter scheduled for Moura, in the district of Beja, is also unavailable, revealed the mayor, Álvaro Azedo, in a post on his Facebook page this month.

The deployment of the three firefighting helicopters at the aerial resource centres (CMA) of these municipalities was scheduled for the 1st of this month, within the scope of the Special Device for Combating Rural Fires (DECIR) of 2025.

Ourique Council, in a note published on the municipality's official page on social media, expressed its “deep concern” over the absence of the helicopter destined for the local base.

“In a period of high fire risk, and in a region with a high fuel load and significant operational distances, the lack of this resource compromises the response capacity and the safety of the population”, the municipality pointed out.

Contacted by Lusa, the mayor, Marcelo Guerreiro (PS), argued that the aerial resource is “very important in fighting fires in Ourique” and in the region, but should only be deployed “in the best case scenario, within a month”.

According to the mayor, “in recent years, what was planned in terms of the arrival of the aerial resource has been fulfilled, within normal limits”, but this year, after being contacted by the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC), he was informed that the helicopter could only be deployed at the Ourique CMA “in the best case scenario, within a month”.

“We are aware of the constraints that may have existed in terms of public procurement, but the territory cannot be at the mercy of the lack of this resource and this equipment that is so important in fighting rural fires”, he argued.