Romanian firefighters head to Greece as Europe braces for vegetation fires

Europe’s hottest summer in history is forecasted, and hundreds of firefighters, among which 40 Romanians, have been sent to high-risk areas around the continent to fight vegetation fires.

Greece, France, and Portugal are expecting fires due to the hot temperature. Among the rescuers delegated around Europe are 40 Romanian firefighters who departed for Greece on Thursday, June 29th. They will arrive in Athens, as the surrounding Attica region, 4,000 square kilometers in length, is prone to devastating fires during the summer. Most of the firefighters are on their first mission abroad, but they have been trained by their colleagues who fought the fires in Greece in previous years.

"In August, [the firefighters] are being replaced in Greece, and [they] will be prepositioned in France. This was a coordinated action by the EU. Each country was assigned its role. Three countries requested prepositioning: France, Greece, and Portugal," said Raed Arafat, the head of the Department for Emergency Situations, cited by Digi24.

The whole world is preparing for the toughest summer in history, with record temperatures and tens of thousands of hectares destroyed by flames. That's why the European Union has already started relocating firefighters across the continent.

"This is not the institution's first mission. For some of them, it is their first mission, while others have already been on missions and have demonstrated their professionalism. They have European recognition. They are requested by the Greek state. These are individuals whose value is acknowledged," said Cătălin Predoiu, minister of internal affairs.

The 40 Romanian firefighters will be under the command of the Greek Civil Protection. After two weeks, they will be replaced by another group of 40 military personnel.

(Photo source: IGSU on Facebook)