Lisbon, Sept. 14, 2026 (Lusa) - The Portuguese Firefighters' League (LBP) on Monday highlighted how successive fuel price rises are affecting the financial sustainability of humanitarian organisations, emphasising that these increases pose a significant challenge for fire brigades.

The LBP's president, António Nunes, told Lusa that he had alerted the Secretary of State for Civil Protection, Rui Rocha, to the «very negative impact of successive fuel price rises», which are «financially strangling» humanitarian organisations and the operational capacity of fire brigades.

The LBP's warning comes at a time when several district fire brigades' federations, which are members of the Portuguese Firefighters' League, have also been going public to demand urgent measures from the government and to describe it as «unsustainable and unacceptable» that voluntary organisations should continue to bear the brunt of successive fuel price rises.

António Nunes told Lusa that fire brigades have seen their fuel costs rise by around 40%, with the situation particularly concerning for transporting non-urgent patients.

«The situation is becoming unsustainable,» he stated, adding that there are already humanitarian organisations «facing cash flow problems».

The LBP president said the government had informed him that the cabinet would discuss possible support for various sectors, including the fire services, amid rising fuel prices; however, details of the plan remain unclear.

He called for an urgent resolution.

The LBP has asked the Government to ensure that the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC) «immediately reimburses fuel costs for June and July, and those for August as soon as possible».

António Nunes explained that, in this case, it is an advance on various payments the ANEPC made months after incurring the expenses, particularly for wildfires.

CMP/ADB // ADB.

Lusa