Wildfire suppression

A search and rescue operation is underway for two airmen on the island of Evia after their Canadair firefighting aircraft crashed while battling the wildfire that is raging in the southern part of the island.

The fire burning on the island of Rhodes for a seventh day highlights the weaknesses of Greece's firefighting and forest management.

There have been positive steps, such as transferring the forest management agencies from the Agriculture to the Environment Ministry, but even that process is slow-moving, experts say.

Two firefighting aircraft and one helicopter along with their nine-member crew that had been pledged by Turkey to help Greece fight the large wildfires that have scorched swathes of land around Athens arrived in Athens on Saturday.

Turkey has become the latest country to offer firefighting aircraft to Greece to assist in the battle against wildfires across the country.

The neighboring country will provide two amphibious firefighting aircraft and a firefighting helicopter.

Cyprus and Croatia are to deploy firefighting aircraft to Greece through the EU-wide Civil Protection Mechanism, following an additional request from the General Secretariat of Civil Protection, to help battle wildfires that have intensified as the Kleon heat wave continues.

Cyprus has provided two Air Tractors and Croatia one CL-415 from the rescEU fleet of firefighting planes.

A team of 12 Greek firefighters spent 25 days in the American state of California being trained by the United States Forest Service (USFS), the Greek service said in an announcement on Tuesday.

The program is part of a partnership between the two firefighting services, both operating in countries that have experienced devastating wildfires.

A firefighter sprays water during a wildfire in a forest area in Evia, on August 10, 2021. Photo: EPA-EFE/SPIROS KOUROS.

The crew took off from Samos airport and the helicopter crashed in the sea southwest of the island. High winds were present in the area.

Trials, tactics, technologies & training that certain countries are employing to enhance their nighttime aerial firefighting capabilities

Türkiye's national body on aviation activities, Turkish Aeronautical Association (THK), has made four CL-215 type amphibious tanker planes ready to combat wildfires and added them to the country's "firefighting fleet" after a long maintenance.

Wildfire in Bulgaria's Rhodope mountain is growing. There is a risk that the fire may affect nearby settlements in the area of ​​Lucky municipality. Fire fighting teams have been battling the blaze for a second day. The Cougar military helicopter has been dropping water on the outbreaks since the morning,which are extremely difficult to reach.