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Defense Minister Bars Army From Direct Wildfire Combat, Limits Troops to Support Roles

Margarita Robles said extra troops will only provide logistics support, leaving frontline firefighting to the UME.

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La ministra de Defensa durante la intervención a los medios en el campamento de la Legión
Ester Muñoz, portavoz del Partido Popular

Overview

  • Robles said up to 500 additional military personnel could be sent to affected regions but only for transport, maintenance and other support tasks.
  • She reaffirmed that the Unidad Militar de Emergencias, with about 3,000 deployed personnel, is the only force trained to directly combat the fires.
  • Robles accused PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo and regional party presidents of demagogy and ignorance for calling on the Army to fight the blazes directly.
  • The minister confirmed the death of a fourth firefighting worker in León and warned that extreme heat and drought are hampering containment efforts.
  • She reiterated that resources have been in place since August 2 and said Spain remains open to international assistance when qualified teams and equipment are required.