After a month-long anti-fire mission in Greece, the Moldovan firefighters have returned home. The 44 rescuers were dispatched to assist Greek authorities in combating vegetation fires, as part of the EU program for pre-positioning forces and resources, reports IPN.
According to the Minister of Internal Affairs, the team equipped with eight units of special technology operated in the Patras region, on the Peloponnese peninsula, alongside colleagues from Romania, Austria, the Czech Republic, France, and Bulgaria.
Moldovan firefighters have intervened in over 30 locations affected by complex and long-lasting fires, many of them in high-risk regions. Their efforts have been aimed at protecting forests, homes, and industrial sites, evacuating people in danger, and supporting Greek crews by supplying water to specialized vehicles.
The total intervention time exceeded 200 hours, including during the night. The mission also represented an opportunity to strengthen international cooperation and exchange experiences between the participating teams.
The pre-positioning program is organized by the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations and funded by the European Union. It brings together specialized teams from six European countries and aims to prevent and limit forest fires in southern Europe.