Read the video transcript here
It looks a bit like a vintage car, but it is a fire fighting aircraft: the CL 415 is one of two machines that Spain sent to Turkey to put out the devastating forest and bush fires in the south and west of the country.
A risky mission even for the experienced pilots of Grupo 43 of the Spanish Air Force.
Raul Pardo pilot
“Visibility is very, very poor because of the smoke. The climatic conditions are very difficult due to the heat and humidity. They affect the performance of the machines. Another major difficulty is the water load, which we have to transport from zero to over 2000 meters. "
Turkey is getting more and more help from abroad to fight fires: Germany wants to send 200 firefighters and emergency services from the technical relief organization. There are now 20 aircraft and more than 50 helicopters in action against the fire. These night pictures from a helicopter give an impression of the extent of the disaster. Temperatures in southern Europe are currently over 40 degrees Celsius in some cases. At least eight people have been killed in the forest fires in Turkey, which are repeatedly fueled by strong winds. These are the worst forest fires in Turkey in over a decade.
