A total of 245 firefighters will be deployed to Greece during this year’s wildfire season under the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism’s (UCPM) pre-positioning programme. The the first European firefighting teams are expected to arrive in mid-July.
The 245 firefighters, supported by vehicle-mounted units, from France, Moldova, Romania and Czech Republic will be deployed in phases between July 16 and Sept. 15, 2026, at operational bases of the Greek Fire Service in Attica/New Makri, Thessaloniki and Patras.
According to a statement from Greece’s Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, the programme aims to support Greek firefighters in combating wildfires, provide hands-on training under real operational conditions, and enable participating personnel to take valuable experience and expertise back to their home countries.
It is in the last couple of years that firefighters from EU member countries are beiung deployed to Greece during the fire season May-October, as the thumbnail picture shows Polish firefighters in 2023.
