Cyprus and Greece request rescEU support

Cyprus

The island of Cyprus has requested firefighting assistance via the European Union (EU) Civil Protection Mechanism. In response, the EU has mobilized two Canadair planes from its rescEU joint firefighting fleet.

The request follows a major fire in the Limassol district, which has scorched over 120km² since it began near the village of Malia on 23 July.

The fire, worsened by a heatwave that has reached 44°C, together with strong winds, has particularly affected the villages of Souni and Lofou, and has affected air quality across the region.

Over 250 firefighters, as well as 18 aircraft, from Cyprus, Jordan, Spain, and Israel, are currently fighting the blaze.

Greece

The Greek government has also formally requested six firefighting aircraft via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to support its efforts.

Firefighters in the country were working to control five major fires in the Peloponnese area to the west of Athens, as well as on the islands of Evia, Kythira, and Crete, as of 27 July. Additionally, 11 regions of Greece are reportedly at “very high risk” of fire.

The wildfires have been driven by persistent extreme heat – temperatures in southeastern Europe have exceeded 40°C for over a week – as well as high winds.

The EU has been working to rapidly expand its joint aerial firefighting fleet, in the face of growing concerns about the threat of wildfires, especially in southern Europe. In 2024, it allocated an additional €600 million of funds to acquire 12 more fixed-wing aerial firefighting aircraft.