EU sends planes and firefighters to fight fires in southern Europe

1,300 firefighters, 250 vehicles, 14 planes and 3 helicopters.

This is the large system deployed by the European Union to come to the aid of countries affected by violent fires caused by an exceptional heatwave in south-eastern Europe and in Turkey.

The European Commission announced on Monday that it had increased the dispatch of planes, helicopters and firefighters in recent days.

Read alsoGreece hit by "the worst heatwave" for more than 30 years and a wave of devastating fires

Several states (France, Germany, Poland, Austria and Slovakia) have indicated over the weekend to prepare to send additional teams of firefighters to Greece, where they will join rescuers already sent by Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Romania and France, the Commission said.

This assistance is made possible through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

The Commission bears at least 75% of the transport costs.

A giant blaze on the island of Evia in Greece

The EU has also sent several water bombers for Turkey.

The country has suffered the worst fires in a decade, devastating forests, farmland and coastal areas.

In Greece, it is the giant blaze of the island of Euboea that worries the authorities. For a week now, firefighters have been fighting to try to calm the fire which is surrounding many villages around 200 km from Athens. Janez Lenarcic, EU Crisis Management Commissioner said the committee is currently mobilizing "one of the largest EU-wide firefighting plans, to tackle several fires raging simultaneously in several country ".