wpadmin 
By: Alex Thompson
Greece has dispatched two firefighting aircraft to assist in battling wildfires in the Paphos region of Cyprus, marking the first deployment of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism this year. In anticipation of the wildfire season, the EU has assembled a fleet of 32 aerial firefighting units and positioned 556 firefighters across Europe.
Additionally, the EU is currently backing eight projects aimed at enhancing national wildfire resilience capacities. Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, expressed gratitude for Greece’s swift response, stating, “I thank Greece for its quick response to assisting Cyprus in fighting the wildfires in the Paphos region by deploying two firefighting aircraft. This is EU solidarity in practice.”
The EU Emergency Response Coordination Centre is keeping a close watch on the situation. Recently, the EU announced that its 2024 rescEU aerial firefighting fleet will include four helicopters and 28 fixed-wing aircraft.
