The EU has deployed helicopters and firefighting teams to Serbia after wildfires affected more than 3,500 hectares of the Deliblato Sands Special Nature Reserve.
Serbia triggered the EU Civil Protection Mechanism on Friday 21 August, asking for help to reinforce efforts to tackle the fires, the European Commission announced on Sunday.
The mechanism is the EU’s framework for co-ordinating assistance between countries during emergencies.
Four helicopters from the EU’s rescEU strategic reserve have been mobilised from bases in Czechia, Romania and Slovakia.
Ground firefighting teams from Germany and Romania have also been sent and remain deployed.
A liaison officer has arrived in Serbia to help co-ordinate between Serbian authorities, the EU Emergency Response Coordination Centre and the deployed teams.
Satellite mapping activated
Satellite mapping has also been used to support emergency assessment and planning after the Copernicus Emergency Management Service was activated on 8 August, the Commission said.
Copernicus is the EU’s Earth observation programme, which can provide mapping and analysis during disasters.
The fires have been burning for more than two weeks, driven by strong winds and difficult terrain that is hard to reach by ground crews.
“Civil Protection Mechanism in action: firefighting teams from Czechia, Germany, Romania, Slovakia have joined the fight against wildfires in Serbia, working alongside local responders,” EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib said.
