EU Civil Protection Mechanism responds to multiple wildfires across Europe
During the past week, Greece, Spain, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Albania activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to help deal with forest fires – many of which are occurring simultaneously across Europe, the European Commission (EC) said on August 14.
The EC said that on August 13, Spain activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism for the first time ever for forest fires.
The Commission said that it had quickly mobilised two rescEU planes stationed in France, expected to be deployed on August 14.
Greece activated the Mechanism on August 12. In response, the two Swedish rescEU helicopters currently in Bulgaria are expected to be deployed. Prepositioned firefighters from Czechia, Moldova and Romania also took part in the efforts to put out the fires.
In Bulgaria six countries – Czechia, Slovakia, France, Hungary, Romania, Sweden – mobilised aircraft via the Mechanism including the rescEU helicopters stationed in Sweden.
In Albania, the Commission mobilised rescEU aerial assets from Croatia, Bulgaria, Italy and Czechia and Slovakia.
In Montenegro, the Commission mobilised rescEU assets stationed in Czechia, Croatia and Italy. Serbia, Hungary and Bosnia and Herzegovina also deployed aircraft means as part of bilateral offers, and Austria offered ground firefighting teams.
The EU Civil Protection Mechanism has already been activated 16 times during the current fire season, as countries in Europe battle a heat wave accompanied by a high number of catastrophic wildfires around the continent, the EC said.
The number of activations for 2025 is already equal to the total activations for wildfires for 2024 during the whole fire season.
Copernicus was also activated for the fires in Greece, Spain and Bulgaria, the EC said.
(Photo: Bulgaria’s Interior Ministry)
