Greece Relaxes While Spain Appeals for Assistance due to Fires - Proposal sought for a worker radiation safety directive by the Commission regarding risks from ionizing radiation exposure.
Spain and Greece are currently battling severe wildfires, with Spain's northwest regions, including Galicia and Castile and León, being particularly affected. The situation in these regions has forced more than 8,000 people to evacuate and resulted in at least three fatalities.
In response to the crisis, Spain has activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism for the first time for wildfires in the country. This has mobilized aerial firefighting resources such as two rescEU planes from France.
The wildfire crisis in Spain has resulted in extensive damage, with the fires burning a larger area than in the entire previous year. In the region around Patras, Greece's third-largest city, a hospital and nursing home were evacuated due to heavy smoke. However, the situation in Patras has reportedly eased.
Greece is also grappling with wildfires, with Chios island being one of the areas affected. Greece activated the EU mechanism earlier in August, and EU resources such as Swedish rescEU helicopters are being deployed there. The fire on Chios is currently the biggest challenge.
Kostas Tsingas, chairman of the association of fire officers, expressed hope for stabilization due to nighttime ground work and targeted morning flights. Despite some improvement, authorities in Greece have not yet given the all-clear for several ongoing fires. The decreasing winds are expected to make this day significantly more favorable than previous ones in Greece.
Spain's Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska has requested assistance from the EU, and the EU has responded with aerial assets (planes and helicopters) and firefighting teams from multiple member states. Besides Galicia and Castile and León, other regions like Madrid have been affected by the wildfires, though the most critical situations are in the northwest.
Tragically, a firefighter has died from injuries in the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. Firefighters remain on site in Patras as embers can quickly reignite.
In summary, Spain has made an unprecedented activation of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism for forest fires to address devastating wildfires. Key affected Spanish regions include Galicia, Castile and León (northwest) and impacts extend to Madrid. The EU has responded with aerial assets (planes and helicopters) and firefighting teams from multiple member states. Greece's Chios island is also involved in the broader European wildfire crisis, with EU support ongoing. There is still great concern on the island of Chios.
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