Belgium has expanded its assistance to France as firefighters continue to battle devastating wildfires that have scorched thousands of hectares, mainly in the Gironde region, over the past few days.
Belgium is ready to deploy water tankers and other emergency vehicles if requested by France, the office of Interior Minister Bernard Quintin (MR) said on Friday.
The offer has been made through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, which coordinates requests for assistance from member states affected by disasters and offers of support from other participating countries.
Water-bombing aircraft and helicopters from across Europe have already been deployed to France and Spain, where major wildfires are also burning.
Belgium's additional offer includes four water tankers with capacities of 10,000 to 12,000 litres, a 28,000-litre articulated tanker, and several support vehicles ready to be deployed with trained Belgian personnel. These include a command vehicle, two pick-up trucks, a minibus and a lorry.
A total of 24 personnel from the Belgian Civil Protection service and fire brigades are on standby for deployment.
For now, the equipment and crews remain on standby pending a formal request from France, should the offer match operational needs.
Quintin has remained in regular contact with his French counterpart, Laurent Nuñez, since the wildfires began, according to his office.
"The French can count on these additional Belgian resources if they request them," the minister said.
On Wednesday, Belgium also announced that its armed forces were providing support to France, including two Panther airport firefighting vehicles that have already been airlifted to the country. A further nine water tankers and 29 military personnel were also due to be deployed.
