Italy and France send aircraft to help Greece in firefighting efforts
Tengrinews.kz - Half of Greece is in a high fire danger zone. Athens is shrouded in smoke, citing Euronews.
More than 1,500 firefighters and dozens of airplanes and helicopters are involved in the fight against the fire. All emergency services are involved: the police are helping to inform residents and organize the evacuation of entire communities caught in the path of the fire and smoke.
"The wind was blowing from one side to the other. The smoke made it hard to breathe. You couldn't see anything. We couldn't see our own house - we were about 60 meters away from it. But we couldn't see it. We couldn't even see the helicopter that was dumping water, we only heard it," says a local resident.
On Sunday, Athens requested Brussels to activate the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to coordinate assistance and cover transportation costs.
Italy and France have already sent aircraft equipped for firefighting, while the Czech Republic has dispatched a team of firefighters and ground equipment.
June and July have become the hottest months in Greece's history. In some areas, temperatures reach 104 °F, and for the week ahead, half of the country will be in a high fire danger zone.