Four Maltese firefighters have joined hundreds of emergency personnel battling a major wildfire in central Portugal.In an update posted by Civil Protection Malta, the department said four members of Malta’s Ground Forest Firefighting (MT GFFF) contingent were called into action on 22nd August to assist with the wildfire in Mouriscas.The Maltese firefighters had been on standby at the Almeirim station when they were requested by the officer in charge from Portugal’s Força Especial de Proteção Civil (FEPC) to assist in the operation.The four firefighters were deployed alongside Portuguese FEPC forces directly within the active fire area, supporting efforts to fight and contain the blaze.And they were joining a massive emergency response.According to Civil Protection Malta, around 400 firefighters, 160 fire engines and 14 aerial resources were involved in tackling the wildfire at the time.Malta’s contingent is currently stationed in Portugal as part of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism’s wildfire pre-positioning programme.The programme sees firefighting teams strategically deployed to areas facing heightened wildfire risks, allowing additional resources to respond rapidly when major fires break out.The initiative is coordinated through the European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO).The deployment sees Maltese firefighters working side-by-side with their Portuguese counterparts on the frontline as authorities continue efforts to bring the Mouriscas wildfire under control.Photo credits to @civilprotectionmalta•