EU joins battle to control Greek fires

EU member states have joined in the fight to control blazes that have claimed at least 60 lives in Greece.

Foreign intervention in the form of fire-fighting aircraft and specialised helicopters comes after Greek prime minister Costas Karamanlis declared a state of emergency and appealed to the EU for help.

"Member states of the European Union have once again demonstrated their solidarity with a country in a moment of crisis," said environment commissioner Stavros Dimas.

"Their quick reaction to Greece's call for help will undoubtedly contribute to combating these forest fires effectively and hopefully prevent further casualties."

A commission spokesperson said Monday that EU assistance to Greece represented the biggest coordinated effort of its kind since the community mechanism for civil protection was set up in 2001.

But with over 90 fires still raging, Greek authorities remain pessimistic that the fires will be brought under control anytime soon.

Furthermore, there have also been suggestions that many of the fires were started on purpose.

Karamanlis is quoted as saying that it was "too much of a coincidence" that so many of the blazes had started in the middle of the night.

The European commission's monitoring and information centre (MIC), which handled Greece’s request for help from its European partners, has managed a total of 13 requests for assistance from six countries since the summer.

The mechanism is designed to facilitate the provision of civil protection assistance both in and outside the European Union.

• Previous article
• Next article