The European Union has deployed firefighting aircraft and ground crews to North Macedonia this summer to help the country battle a series of wildfires that have swept across southern Europe.
Under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, North Macedonia received aerial assistance from Czechia and Greece and ground support from Slovenia, the European Commission said on Thursday.
Two Canadair water-bombing planes from Greece were dispatched in early July to tackle blazes in the country’s south, while later in the month a helicopter from Czechia and a 62-member Slovenian team with 18 vehicles were sent to combat a large fire in the east. Austria and France also offered support, officials said.
The EU covers a significant share of the firefighting costs, while North Macedonia provides accommodation, food and fuel for foreign crews as part of a solidarity effort.
This is not the first time North Macedonia has tapped the EU mechanism. Last year, assistance came from nine countries including Croatia, Germany and Türkiye, and EU support was also critical during severe wildfires in 2021. The mechanism has previously been activated for floods and during the COVID-19 pandemic.