French President Emmanuel Macron has requested the activation of the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism to combat the large-scale forest fires currently ravaging parts of the country.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports, citing international media, that the request aims to bolster firefighting efforts in the Gironde region, located in the southwest of France.
Expressing gratitude to the firefighters and emergency personnel mobilized on the front lines, President Macron confirmed that he has formally asked for EU assistance to address the fires that have consumed thousands of hectares in recent days. According to the President, this support will include two firefighting aircraft from Croatia, two from Portugal, and two helicopters from the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez stated that more than 50,000 hectares of land have burned across the country since the beginning of the year. The Minister noted that this figure is approximately three times higher than the same period last year.
Nunez added that a fire near the town of Landiras in the Gironde region, which has been burning for three days and is considered the largest of the season, has already destroyed over 10,000 hectares. He emphasized that the blaze, spreading across difficult terrain, has not yet been brought under control.
The EU Civil Protection Mechanism, established in 2001, plays a crucial role in coordinating collective responses to natural and man-made disasters. By pooling resources from member states, the mechanism allows for rapid deployment of specialized equipment and personnel, which is essential for managing large-scale environmental crises like the current wildfires in France.
