The Portuguese government has requested that the European Commission activate its Civil Protection Mechanism to combat wildfires in the Aveiro district, a source from Portugal’s Civil Protection Agency told Euronews. Forest fires have engulfed homes and halted traffic on motorways in the region after several blazes broke out over the weekend, according to local authorities. Under the Civil Protection Mechanism, the European Commission can provide assistance in the form of additional firefighters, water bombers and helicopters. It can also help by using satellite imagery from the Copernicus sys…