Brussels – The European Union has deployed aerial resources and technical equipment from seven member states to help Spain extinguish the wildfires primarily affecting Zamora and Ourense provinces.
Community sources informed Europa Press that the assistance includes four water bombers from France and Italy, sourced from the EU’s emergency reserve. Additionally, the Netherlands has contributed two helicopters, while the Czech Republic and Slovakia have provided one each.
Coordinated through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, the aid also encompasses ground firefighting teams actively combating the flames.
Technical teams from Germany, France, and Finland have arrived in Spain to support the firefighting efforts. Furthermore, another European team based in France is prepared to assist Spanish authorities in tackling the wildfires.
According to the director of Civil Protection and Emergencies, Virginia Barcones, there are currently over twenty active wildfires in Spain categorized at operational level 2. She noted that authorities are coordinating the deployment of additional air resources, forest agents, and firefighters to aid in containment efforts.
Some of the mobilized aerial resources are part of the EU’s pre-positioned reserve teams, designed for rapid response to severe wildfires across the Union. The EU maintains 670 firefighters on standby in various countries, along with a fleet of 22 planes and four helicopters for crisis response, with 40 Estonian and Dutch firefighters contributing to the firefighting efforts in Spain.
This marks the first instance of Spain utilizing this mechanism to manage a wildfire crisis, with aid expected to arrive in Spain on Thursday, August 18.
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