Estonian rescuers deployed to help Spain combat wildfires

Alsharq Tribune-AFP 

The first Estonian rescue team was deployed to Spain to combat wildfires on Friday, with a second team scheduled to depart on Aug. 17. Each team consists of 20 rescuers.

This year, Spain has already experienced over 3,300 wildfires, which have affected more than 20,000 hectares of forests and natural areas.

One of the largest fires occurred in mid-July in the province of Tarragona (Catalonia), where flames scorched over 3,200 hectares and impacted the habitat of around 18,000 people. Three people lost their lives in the blaze, including one firefighter.

Estonian rescuers also assisted with wildfire suppression efforts in Spain in August of last year.

The first team will operate in the Castilla-La Mancha region from Aug. 1 to 16, and the second will work in Galicia from Aug. 17 to 30. Half of the team members participated in last year's mission, while the other half are new and lack prior experience in such operations.

In recent years, summer wildfires have become a serious issue in Southern Europe, and teams from other nations were brought in to assist, with coordination through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism.