Civil emergencies during the summer season - EU will send 650 firefighters to high-risk areas!
Hundreds of firefighters from across Europe and over 20 aerial firefighting vehicles will be pre-positioned in high-risk areas across the bloc this summer, the European Commission announced.
Almost 650 firefighters from 14 European countries will be deployed in July and August to key high-risk locations in France, Greece, Portugal and Spain. This is the highest number since the pre-positioning of firefighters across the EU began in 2022.
Greece will welcome half of these European firefighters with teams coming from Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, France, Moldova and Romania. Meanwhile, 22 firefighting planes and four helicopters will be stationed in 10 different member states.
France and Greece will be the biggest beneficiaries of the EU-backed summer fleet, which will be coordinated and financed through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, with four medium amphibious aircraft each. France will also have one helicopter.
Other countries receiving the summer fleet include Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Italy, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden. Hadja Lahbib, EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, said in a statement that "the EU's support is tangible and making a difference on the ground."
"Extreme heat and wildfires in Europe have unfortunately become the new normal. I am happy that the EU has more to offer than just words of concern and comfort ," she added.
Another 19 ground firefighting teams, with around 30 firefighters each, and an advisory and assessment team, are also ready to be mobilised by the EU, while a dedicated fire support team will be set up in the EU's Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) 24/7 to monitor risks and analyse scientific data.
These teams will bring together 30 experts from EU Member States, as well as other countries participating in the Union Civil Protection Mechanism, the European Scientific Partnership on Natural Hazards and staff from the ERCC.
Greece, which also tends to be hit hard every summer, has already announced it will send a record number of firefighters, including elite units to high-risk areas, and will almost double its drone fleet.
Since the beginning of the year, more than 166,000 hectares have burned in the 27 member states, almost three times the average recorded during the same period between 2003 and 2024, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).
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