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The EU mobilizes resources and firefighters from 7 member states to help Spain against the wildfires

by AI | 18.Aug 2025 | Europe in brief AI

Brussels – The European Union has mobilized air resources and technical equipment from 7 different member states to assist Spain in extinguishing the fires that particularly affect the provinces of […]

Wildfire approaches the Galician locality of Quiroga, Lugo Photo: Carlos Castro -Europa Press

Brussels – The European Union has mobilized air resources and technical equipment from 7 different member states to assist Spain in extinguishing the fires that particularly affect the provinces of Zamora and Ourense.

According to community sources reported to Europa Press, the offers include four water bombers mobilized from France and Italy, coming from the EU’s emergency reserve, while another four helicopters have been deployed by the Netherlands, two, and the Czech Republic, one, and Slovakia, one.

The European aid, coordinated through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, includes firefighting teams deployed on the ground to combat the flames.

Germany, France, and Finland have sent technical teams to Spain to assist in the extinguishing efforts, while another European team located in France has also made itself available to the Spanish authorities to collaborate in combating the fires.

Currently, there are more than twenty active wildfires in Spain at operational level 2, according to the director of Civil Protection and Emergencies, Virginia Barcones, who added that the authorities are in contact to coordinate the dispatch of more air resources, the arrival of forest agents, and firefighters who can assist in the extinguishing efforts.

Part of the mobilized air resources are part of the pre-positioned reserve teams of the EU to respond swiftly in case of severe wildfires across the Union. In this context, the EU has 670 firefighters on standby in different countries, as well as a fleet of 22 planes and four helicopters to respond to crises, of which 40 Estonian and Dutch firefighters have participated in the fight against the fire in the wildfires in Spain.

This is the first time that Spain has made use of this instrument to respond to a wildfire crisis, and the aid will be available this Thursday in Spain. (August 18)