Request for assistance to EU member-states
With the wildfires wreaking havoc in northeastern Athens on Monday, Greece requested assistance from EU member-states in the framework of the European Mechanism.
Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis spoke by telephone with the Commission, as well as his counterparts from Spain and Croatia, in order to request further assistance (and air assets). The first immediate reaction came from Cyprus, but ultimately Cypriot firefighters will not come to Greece, as Athens, in its request to the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism, asked exclusively for the assistance of mechanized ground forces as well as air forces.
In response to the Greek request, France sent a Super Puma helicopter that utilizes a bucket system, which was expected to arrive on Monday night. Subsequently, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin also announced the dispatch of 180 civil protection firefighters and 55 trucks. For its part, Italy is dispatching two Canadair firefighting aircraft, expected to arrive on Tuesday morning. Also expected on Tuesday are 75 firefighters and 25 vehicles, nine of which are water trucks, from the Czech Republic. Spain is also expected to respond. Meanwhile, Turkey also offered to provide assistance through Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, which Athens was expected to accept by late Monday night.
A detachment of at least 40 Romanian firefighters, who in recent years have been present on all main forest fire fronts in Greece, has been deployed on the ground. Firefighting units from Moldova, who are already in Greece, were also mobilized accordingly.
The Hellenic Armed Forces have been involved from the outset of the fires, as usual, and have been crucial. Apart from the Canadair firefighting aircraft (CL-215/415) and Chinook helicopters, the newly established Construction and Natural Disaster Management Command (DIKAFKA) was assisting in the response to the fire.
It was in constant communication from the field with the Unified Coordination Center for Operations and Crisis Management of the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection.
