Catastrophic situation with fires/ EU comes to the aid of France and Spain with helicopters, firefighting planes and personnel

2026-07-28 08:33:50Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

Catastrophic situation with fires/ EU comes to the aid of France and Spain with

The European Union has deployed firefighting planes, helicopters and personnel to France and Spain as wildfires continue to spread in both countries, forcing more than 300,000 people to evacuate or take shelter in the country, the European Commission said on Monday.

The aid, mobilised through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, includes seven planes and four helicopters sent to France by the Czech Republic, Croatia, Germany, Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden and Turkey, according to a statement from the commission.

For Spain, the bloc has mobilized six firefighting aircraft from Greece, Italy and Turkey, while Portugal has deployed 134 personnel and 41 vehicles to support firefighters' efforts.

A European Commission liaison officer has also been deployed in Bordeaux to help coordinate EU assistance with the French authorities.

The EU Commission said firefighting teams from several European countries had already been deployed to France and Spain ahead of the fire season as part of EU preparedness measures, allowing them to respond immediately after fires break out.

Europe is battling a wave of devastating wildfires, particularly in France, Spain and Greece, as rising temperatures fuel numerous blazes across the continent.

In Spain, fires continued to burn overnight in Avila and Madrid, burning about 45,000 hectares (111,200 acres) and forcing about 100,000 people to evacuate or take shelter locally.


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