Portugal has requested additional firefighting aircraft from the European Union, Spain, and Morocco as it faces an elevated risk of wildfires amid an ongoing heatwave, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro announced on Friday. The appeal reflects concerns about an "exceptional situation" expected over the coming days, with the entire country under heightened wildfire threat.

Montenegro emphasized the preventative nature of the request, noting that securing external support is preferable to reallocating domestic resources already engaged elsewhere in Portugal. "We believe it is better to receive support from our EU allies and closest neighbours than to divert resources from other parts of the country where they are currently deployed," he said during a news briefing.

Several regions of mainland Portugal are currently subject to red weather warnings issued by the national weather institute IPMA, with temperatures surpassing 40 degrees Celsius in some areas. This extreme heat has contributed to conditions conducive to wildfire outbreaks.

The Portuguese government has declared a state of alert effective until late Monday, implementing measures to mitigate fire risks. These include restricting public access to certain forested zones, banning forestry operations involving machinery, and prohibiting farmers from carrying out controlled burns.

As of Thursday, civil protection authorities reported that more than 2,800 firefighters, supported by 864 vehicles and 32 aircraft, were engaged in combating six active wildfires across the country. The most significant blaze is located in the central district of Viseu, where efforts continue to contain the fire.

The government's coordinated response underscores the severity of the situation amid climate conditions that have heightened the wildfire threat. The international support requested aims to bolster Portugal’s firefighting capacity should the situation deteriorate further.