Greece is receiving support through the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism to fight forest fires raging in the central part of the country, the European Commission said Tuesday.
The Commission said France has responded to Greece's request for assistance in a matter of hours. The Commission said two French fire-fighting planes are already operating in the affected areas in Greece.
The fire that broke out on August 24 in a forest region near Kalabaka, central Greece, has burnt around 400 hectares of land and is still active. Greece has also activated the satellite imagery service of the European Commission.
"Forest fires are a risk we face every summer and this year is no exception; we will continue to support the efforts of Greece to prevent the fire from spreading towards populated areas," said Kristalina Georgieva, the European Union Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response.
"The Commission is grateful to France for its prompt gesture of solidarity; I hope that other Member States will also be able to offer assistance," she added.
The European Civil Protection Mechanism facilitates cooperation in disaster response among 31 European states (EU-28 plus Norway, Iceland, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia).
The participating countries pool resources that can be made available to disaster-stricken countries all over the world. When activated, the Mechanism coordinates the provision of assistance inside and outside the European Union. The European Commission manages the Mechanism through the Emergency Response Coordination Center (ERCC).
"The ERCC is actively monitoring the forest fire risks across Europe. It uses national monitoring services and tools such as EFFIS (the European Forest Fire Information System) and satellite imagery to provide an overview of the situation in Europe," the statement read.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Political News
December 19, 2025 15:10 ET U.S. inflation data and interest rate decisions by major central banks were the highlights of this busy week for economics news flow. Employment data and survey results on the housing markets also gained attention in the U.S. In Europe, the European Central Bank and Bank of England announced their policy decisions and macroeconomic projections.