The European Union is in talks with manufacturers to buy firefighting planes to battle the increased risk of severe wildfires like those raging in Southern Europe, the bloc's head of crisis management told Reuters.
The EU's emergency resources currently involves coordinating and funding the deployment of 12 firefighting airplanes and a helicopter pooled by EU countries. But as emergency requests are expected to grow because of climate change, the EU plans to invest in crisis-response aircraft, EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic said.
Thousands of firefighters across southern Europe were battling hundreds of wildfires in countries including Portugal, Spain and France on Monday, amid an intense heatwave that has caused hundreds of deaths. The EU has already received five requests for help this year. With the Mediterranean not yet halfway through its typical June-September fire season, Lenarcic said Europe is facing a difficult summer. The EU received nine requests for assistance last year.
EU countries are responsible for preventing and responding to forest fires, and request EU assistance only when they need back-up.
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