SPAIN’S European allies have been pouring in help and resources as the country battles unprecedented wildfires during an exceptional heatwave.
Firefighters, helicopters and water?bombing aircraft from across the EU are now on Spanish soil, helping to stem the rising tide of flames that have even scarred the spectacular Picos de Europa.
From Slovakia, a Black Hawk firefighting helicopter has been deployed to the Base of Pinofranqueado in Cáceres, ready to lend its aerial support to ground crews.
Germany has sent 60 volunteer forest firefighters and more than 20 vehicles, mobilising at the IF Jarilla front in Cáceres.
READ MORE: European allies fly in to help Spain battle deadly forest fires engulfing the country
Meanwhile, Italy has dispatched two Canadair water-bombing planes, which have already landed at Matacán Air Base in Salamanca to bolster the aerial firefighting effort. They accompany two French planes of the same model that landed in Santiago de Compostela last week.
Spain’s call for help via the European Civil Protection Mechanism reflects the severity of the situation. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez confirmed that this represents the largest-ever activation of the system, with assistance materialising from France, Slovakia, Germany and the Netherlands.
So far this summer, some 1,580 square kilometres have been devastated by flames across the country, leading to over 1,900 troops being deployed and hundreds of homes evacuated.
The crisis is especially acute in northern and western Spain. In León and Zamora, intense fires have forced the evacuation of ten villages nestled in the Picos de Europa’s shadow, threatening one of the nation’s most beloved natural landmarks.
The flames have already swept through Las Médulas, the UNESCO World Heritage site in León once famed as the Roman Empire’s largest gold mine, leaving parts of the ancient landscape charred and scarred.
The human toll has also been tragic. Two firefighters have died so far has died, with several others critically wounded by the devastating fires.
Among the injured are a 56-year-old woman with burns over 48% of her body, a 36-year-old man with 50% burns, a 64-year-old man with 35% burns, an 80-year-old man with 15% burns, and a 77-year-old woman with 10% burns — several of them in critical condition.
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