This year the primary surveillance network starts a week early and ends five weeks later – it will be active 24 hours a day from 7 May and will last until 6 November, reports the Ministry of Internal Administration (MAI).

The 72 fire stations to prevent and detect fires will start operating on Monday with 288 forest watchers, who will be active for a longer period this year, according to the Ministry of Internal Administration.

In a note sent to the Lusa agency, the Minister Eduardo Cabrita said that these 72 posts are part of the National Network of Watchtowers (primary network) and will be in operation from 7 May to 6 November, 24 hours a day. This year, lookouts start operating a week earlier and end five weeks later than in previous years, when they began on May 14 ending September 30, according to the MAI.

The 288 vigilantes who will man the National Network of Watch Stations are hired by the MAI in the scope of the prevention and combat to the rural fires. The MAI also stresses that this network will be reinforced between 30 June and 15 October, when the secondary network which comes into operation, with a total of 230 lookout posts and 920 forest watchers.