EU deploys firefighting aid to France, Spain amid massive wildfires

The European Union has deployed firefighting aircraft, personnel and equipment to France and Spain as ongoing wildfires have displaced more than 300,000 people and prompted one of Europe's largest evacuation operations, the European Commission said Monday.

The assistance was mobilized through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. The EU's Copernicus satellite service is also providing emergency maps to support response operations. Firefighting teams from other European countries had already been stationed in France and Spain before the fires as part of the EU's wildfire preparedness measures, allowing them to reinforce national emergency services quickly, said the European Commission.