Polish firefighters to help Spain tackle raging wildfires
Military aircraft will transport Polish firefighters to Spain, where they will support local emergency services in containing major wildfires sweeping across the Iberian Peninsula, Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz has said.
More than 90,000 people have been evacuated as fires continue to rage across central Spain. The blazes have already consumed around 77,000 hectares in the Community of Madrid, the provinces of Avila (Castile and Leon) and Toledo (Castile-La Mancha).
"Poland will help Spain in its fight against the wildfires that are threatening residents in many regions," the minister wrote on X on Monday. He added that CASA military aircraft were on standby to transport firefighters and their equipment to Spain.
On Tuesday, Lukasz Czemarmazowicz, a deputy shift commander, announced that 105 Polish firefighters are scheduled to depart for the Castile-La Mancha region on Saturday, August 1, where they will remain for the entire month. The team will operate without vehicles, tackling fires on foot alongside Spanish crews.
According to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), nearly 300,000 hectares have been scorched across Spain and France this year, with the latter also battling devastating wildfires. (PAP)
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