The European Union is mobilizing emergency firefighting support for Greece to help the country battle severe wildfires raging in multiple regions, the head of the European Commission has announced.
In a social media post, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that the EU was responding to a request for assistance from Athens.
“The fight against forest fires continues… We are mobilizing support for Greece after its request for assistance,” Ms. von der Leyen said, calling the deployment an example of “European solidarity in action.”
The aid is being sent through the EU’s RescEU program, a shared reserve of resources including firefighting aircraft and specialized teams that can be deployed to member states during emergencies.
The RescEU fleet is also currently active in Montenegro, and pre-positioned firefighters are already assisting in Spain.
The move comes as Greece and other southern European countries face an increasingly intense wildfire season fueled by climate change.