The government is seeking help from abroad to replace its ground firefighting teams which are at the brink of exhaustion after the massive wildfires that broke out in Greece on August 3.
Greek firefighters have had to fight long shifts, little sleep, high temperatures, smoke and inhaled particles, and lead the assistance from other countries’ ground teams.
As part of the relief, the government has agreed with Poland to retain the firefighters who arrived in Greece on August 9, and has been in contact with other countries for additional ground team assistance.
In a tweet (in English), Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis thanked his Polish counterpart, Mateusz Morawiecki, for the constant support in firefighting efforts. The visiting firefighters will remain in Greece for another two weeks, he noted, adding that they “are doing an amazing job on the ground and we are glad to have them by our side.”
In addition to ground teams, other countries have contributed aircraft, including the Beriev water-dropping airplane and four Bell 214-B1 helicopters, a gift of the Mytilineos Group.
Source: ANA-MPA