On the morning of 31 July, Ukraine dispatched a combined team of 70 firefighters and 15 specialist vehicles to France to assist in tackling the large-scale forest fires. This was announced by the Minister of the Interior, Ivan Vygivskyi. The situation is most critical in the Gironde department, where the fires have engulfed around 42,000 hectares.
Briefly about the main points
- Seventy Ukrainian rescue workers and 15 specialist vehicles have set off for France.
- The mission was organised under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
- In Gironde, the fires have engulfed around 42,000 hectares.
- More than 200,000 people were evacuated due to the threat to their communities.
- Ukraine is prepared to deploy State Emergency Service aircraft should the need arise.
The Ukrainian team has set off for France
According to Vygovsky, the unit was deployed on the President’s instructions Vladimir Zelensky. The day before, Ukraine’s Minister of the Interior held an online meeting with his French counterpart, Laurent Nunez, during which the two sides discussed the details of the Ukrainian team’s work.
France has activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and has appealed to other countries for assistance due to the scale of the emergency. Thousands of rescue workers, military personnel and aircraft have already been deployed to tackle the fires.
The Minister of Internal Affairs stated that, should the need arise, Ukraine is prepared to send State Emergency Service aircraft to France. He also noted that Ukrainian specialists have experience of working in extremely challenging conditions — whilst dealing with the aftermath of Russian attacks, major fires and search-and-rescue operations.
The situation in Gironde has stabilised, but the threat remains
As of the morning of 31 July, the situation regarding the fires in Gironde was considered to be stable. Some of the evacuated residents were allowed to return to their homes, although the danger persisted in areas near Arcachon Bay and Cap Ferret.
Since the beginning of July, large forest fires have swept across southern and western Europe. France and Spain have been hardest hit: the rapid spread of the fires was fuelled by a prolonged heatwave, drought and strong winds. More than 325,000 people have been evacuated from the danger zones in these countries.
According to the European Forest Fire Information System, around 115,000 hectares have been burnt in France since the start of the year. In Spain, as of 22 July, this figure stood at almost 120,000 hectares, and the Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that the total area of land burnt had already exceeded 150,000 hectares.
Rising temperatures and more frequent heatwaves increase the risk of fires breaking out and spreading rapidly, according to the European Forest Institute and the World Health Organisation. At the same time, the scale of such disasters is influenced by the condition of forests, land-use patterns, community preparedness and preventative measures.
The fires have disrupted transport and tourist routes
The fire reached the outskirts of Bordeaux, and the blazes disrupted transport links and the operation of tourist facilities. The final stage of the Tour de France had to be shortened as emergency services were redeployed to tackle the fire.
France’s international aid forms part of a joint response to the wildfires that have spread across several European countries.
