Lithuania is deploying a team of 32 firefighters to France to help the country contain devastating wildfires, with the government approved the assistance package during an extraordinary remote meeting on Friday.
The mission consists of 40 officers from the State Fire and Rescue Service (PAGD), including a command group and 32 firefighters. Nine specialised vehicles, including five fire engines, will be dispatched as part of the operation.
The Lithuanian contingent is scheduled to depart for southern France on Saturday through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism. The team will carry all necessary forestry firefighting equipment and supplies required for autonomous operations.
The journey is expected to take approximately three days.
French authorities will determine the team's specific deployment location, tasks and the duration of the operation based on the evolving situation. The provision of international civil protection assistance is being coordinated by the National Crisis Management Centre (NKVC).
French firefighters have been battling blazes in the Gironde region for more than a week, forcing the evacuation of 220,000 people. The fires have destroyed more than 200 homes and scorched 42,000 hectares of land.
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