In a statement, the FAP said that since July 30, a P-3C CUP+ aircraft has been carrying out "surveillance missions in support of the actions of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC) and the GNR."

"In the first eight hours of the mission, carried out this Wednesday, nine fires were detected and identified in Ermelo, Gandra, and Santa Comba Dão, which were immediately reported to ANEPC," it said.

In addition to "monitoring the areas most vulnerable to rural fires," aerial surveillance "also allows for the detection of risk behaviour," and any "suspicious behaviour" is reported to the appropriate authorities.

According to the FAP, the P-3C CUP+ is a "multi-engine aircraft," capable of flying "for more than 13 hours" day or night, and "can be used for intelligence gathering, with night time imaging and target tracking capabilities using infrared."

The aircraft joins other assets the FAP already had supporting territory surveillance and firefighting, such as drones and helicopters, a source from the military institution told Lusa.