To tackle the biggest wildfires ever recorded in the EU, the Commission’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre has mobilised 11 firefighting planes and 1 helicopter from the rescEU reserve, stationed in 6 Member States. In addition, 6 European countries have contributed with 6 ground forest fire fighting teams via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
So far, over 81,000 hectares have been burnt in Greece’s Alexandroupolis region. This wildfire is the largest in the EU since 2000, when the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) began recording data.
This is a summary of a press release from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Operations: https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/news-stories/news/wildfires-biggest-resceu-aerial-firefighting-operation-greece-2023-08-29_en
*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of EENA. Articles do not represent an endorsement by EENA of any organisation.