Greece gets European assistance in fighting wildfires

The first of the more than 200 firefighters from six European countries that will help their Greek colleagues in fighting wildfires were welcomed in a special ceremony in Athens on Saturday.

The Romanians, along with other countries, including Russia and Turkey, helped Greece fight widespread wildfires in August 2021. This year, the EU has set up a "pre-positioning pilot project" designed to lead to a permanent Europe-wide cooperation program.

Wildfires are frequent in Greece, helped by the hot and dry weather and frequent high winds. Climate change also means that wildfire seasons are also getting longer.