Wildfires are becoming a permanent occurrence in many parts of Europe and the world.
2023 marked a record-breaking year—with the largest fire ever recorded in Europe—and one of the worst wildfire seasons to date in the EU.
Wildfires also severely affected North America, as well as many countries in South America.
Lives were lost, livelihoods destroyed, and many hectares of land burnt.
For the 2024 wildfire season, the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and its rescEU fleet have been placed on high alert.
The rescEU fleet and the European Civil Protection Pool brings together 28 airplanes and 4 helicopters. Stationed in Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Portugal, and Sweden, these aerial firefighting means are at the disposal of other EU Member States in case of an emergency.
In addition, more than 540 firefighters are pre-positioned in France, Greece, Portugal, and Spain coming from 12 different European countries, ready to help local fire brigades when wildfires break out.
With wildfires raging across South-Eastern Europe, the European Commission mobilised rescEU assets in response to a request for assistance by North Macedonia.
© European Union, 2024
2 planes from Germany, 2 from Sweden, as well as 1 helicopter from Czechia, 1 from Slovenia, and 1 from Serbia, were mobilized to battle the fires.
© Fire Rescue Service of Czechia, 2024. All rights reserved.
In addition, a liaison officer from the EU’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre was deployed to North Macedonia to help coordinate the response in the country.
© Fire Rescue Service of Czechia, 2024. All rights reserved.
Before a response can take place, firefighters meet and discuss with experts to create an effective plan to tackle the fire.
© European Union, 2024
Helicopters play a vital role during wildfires, being used for firefighting, transporting personnel and supplies, conducting search and rescue operations, and more.
© Fire Rescue Service of Czechia, 2024. All rights reserved.
Firefighting helicopters can refill their buckets at dip sites, such as the sea, water tanks and reservoirs or any sufficiently deep-water sources suitable for the operation.
© Fire Rescue Service of Czechia, 2024. All rights reserved.
These helicopters then assist ground teams by delivering hundreds of gallons of water over the fire line. The buckets used can be either collapsible or rigid, with varying capacities depending on the helicopter's lifting capability.
© Fire Rescue Service of Czechia, 2024. All rights reserved.
Teamwork is at the heart of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Aerial firefighters from Germany, Sweden, Czechia, Slovenia, and Serbia say goodbye to their North Macedonian colleagues.
© European Union, 2024
During the wildfires in Bulgaria, the EU mobilised firefighting planes from the rescEU fleet, hosted by Czechia, France, Greece, Spain, and Sweden.
© DG FSCP, 2024 (photographer: Petar Petrov). All rights reserved.
More specifically, Greece and France deployed 2 planes each.
© GASC Securité Civile, 2024. All rights reserved.
Additionally, 2 planes from the rescEU fleet in Sweden complemented the response.
© French Civil Protection, 2024. All rights reserved.
Canadairs, also known as water scoopers, are amphibious aircraft that skim the surface of water bodies to scoop up water into an onboard tank, which is then dropped over wildfires.
© GASC Securité Civile, 2024. All rights reserved.
Canadairs can carry up to 1,600 gallons of water and can refill their tanks in as little as 10 to 12 seconds. While the aircrew typically uses the sea and lakes, they can also scoop water from rivers.
© GASC Securité Civile, 2024. All rights reserved.
European solidarity and its finest: French and Bulgarian firefighters coming together for a final photo before the end of the operation.
© GASC Securité Civile, 2024. All rights reserved.
This year's wildfires outside of Athens burned around 40,470 hectares of forest.
© IGSU, 2024. All rights reserved.
The European Commission's Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) immediately mobilised both aerial and ground firefighting resources from several European countries that are part of the Civil Protection Mechanism to assist Greece.
© Securité Civile, 2024. All rights reserved.
This support included 2 rescEU firefighting planes from Italy, a rescEU helicopter from France and 1 helicopter offered by Serbia.
© Moldovan Civil Protection, 2024. All rights reserved.
Additionally, ground firefighting teams were deployed from Czechia, France, Italy, Serbia and Romania to support the Greek civil protection authorities.
© IGSU, 2024. All rights reserved.
Romanian, Maltese, and Moldovan firefighters, already prepositioned in Greece, were also among the first responders battling the fires in Greece.
© IGSU, 2024. All rights reserved.
The EU also mobilised support for Albania, following the activation of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to battle severe wildfires in the country. The response included 1 multipurpose military plane from Romania with a capacity of 6 tons of water.
© European Union, 2024
