Croatian Canadair aircraft deployed to fight wildfires in France’s Gironde region

On Friday morning, a Croatian Air Force Canadair CL‑415 firefighting plane took off from the Zemunik base “Pukovnik Mirko Vukušić” with two crews and technical staff, totaling 11 armed forces personnel. The aircraft was sent to assist French authorities battling extensive forest fires in the Gironde region of southwestern France.

French officials ordered the complete evacuation of the Cap Ferret peninsula, moving roughly 23,000 residents and tourists as the blaze spread over about 8,700 hectares. President Emmanuel Macron appealed for European Union civil‑protection aid, prompting support not only from Croatia but also from Portugal, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Croatian Defence Minister Ivan Anušić confirmed the deployment was authorized by a government decision, and Colonel Milan Došen, commander of the 855th firefighting squadron, emphasized the squadron’s experience in international fire‑suppression missions.

The joint effort aims to contain the fires that have raged for several days, threatening the heavily visited coastal area and surrounding communities.