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[SITUATION] · [ACTIVE]
4 clusters · 17 sources · 3 days · First seen · Last updated
Categories: INTERNATIONAL
EU firefighting aid in France and Spain
Entities: Bordeaux · French authorities · Sara Achac · Burgohondo · Spain
Overview
Since 23 July 2026 a Croatia‑based Canadair CL‑415 operating under the EU RescEU mission has been supporting French fire‑fighting efforts. After an initial stint around Salernes, the 855th Firefighting Squadron moved to the Biscarrosse area near Bordeaux on 24 July. In the first two days the unit flew 72 sorties, logging about 13 ½ hours and dropping roughly 402 tonnes of water, as President Emmanuel Macron thanked Croatia on X. The fires have burned an estimated 98 000 hectares, prompting the evacuation of around 250 000 people and bringing flames within 15 km of Bordeaux.
On 26 July two Greece‑operated Canadair CL‑415 aircraft were dispatched to Spain under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. From Torrejón they began water‑bombing over the Burgohondo area in Ávila, where about 50 000 hectares have already burned. Spain’s total loss since the start of the year stands at roughly 153 000 hectares, the largest season on record, with about 75 000 residents evacuated from the Madrid‑Valencia corridor. The Greek planes, supported by a Hellenic Air Force C‑27J, are coordinated with RescEU, underscoring a broader multinational response to the fire complex threatening both southwestern France and neighbouring Spain.
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 5 SOURCES] Two Greek Canadair CL‑415 aircraft were deployed to Spain to fight forest fires. (Multiple sources)
- [● 5 SOURCES] The aircraft took off from Torrejón air base near Madrid on the morning of 26 July. (Multiple sources)
- [● 5 SOURCES] The aircraft are operating over the Burgohondo area, about 115 km west of Madrid. (Multiple sources)
- [● 4 SOURCES] In the first two days the Croatian crews completed 72 flights, 13 hours 30 minutes of flight time and dropped about 402 tonnes of water. (d0702888-45e2-47c2-8db4-912cfcf6bf12, 8d1008b5-e55b-4076-8f67-c47f0319dcc5, e89a5591-5753-4020-8cdf-762d488df6cc, 1fb7f0)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Swedish water‑scooping aircraft are operating near Bordeaux, France to combat large forest fires. (Both Swedish and French authorities)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Croatian Air Force pilots from the 855th Firefighting Squadron were deployed to France on 24 July 2026 under the RescEU mission. (d0702888-45e2-47c2-8db4-912cfcf6bf12, 8d1008b5-e55b-4076-8f67-c47f0319dcc5, 1fb7f031-e077-45da-a840-e844bac6b524)
- [● 3 SOURCES] French President Emmanuel Macron thanked Croatia for its assistance on the social network X. (9460f3b9-e691-4e9b-a996-432eae1d68f0, e89a5591-5753-4020-8cdf-762d488df6cc, 1fb7f031-e077-45da-a840-e844bac6b524)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Pilot Ante Vranjić said the mission’s purpose is to protect lives, property and the environment. (d0702888-45e2-47c2-8db4-912cfcf6bf12, 1fb7f031-e077-45da-a840-e844bac6b524, c1fc89af-1631-4c39-9dec-9a55f6250cfe)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The fire has burned approximately 40,000 hectares. (Swedish incident commander Markus Green)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The pilots first operated in the Salernes area before moving to Biscarrosse near Bordeaux. (d0702888-45e2-47c2-8db4-912cfcf6bf12, 1fb7f031-e077-45da-a840-e844bac6b524)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The wildfires in southwest France have forced the evacuation of roughly 250 000 people. (9460f3b9-e691-4e9b-a996-432eae1d68f0, e89a5591-5753-4020-8cdf-762d488df6cc)
- [● 2 SOURCES] About 98 000 hectares of forest have burned, the largest area recorded in France’s history. (9460f3b9-e691-4e9b-a996-432eae1d68f0, e89a5591-5753-4020-8cdf-762d488df6cc)
Timeline
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about 5 hours ago
[INTERNATIONAL] 5 sourcesGreek Canadair aircraft fight massive wildfires in SpainTwo Greek Canadair CL‑415s were sent to Spain on 26 July to fight record wildfires near Burgohondo, supporting a joint EU emergency response that has seen tens of thousands evacuated.
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about 10 hours ago
[INTERNATIONAL] 3 sourcesSwedish firefighters aid massive Bordeaux wildfiresSwedish fire‑fighting aircraft, led by Markus Green, are aiding French efforts against a 40,000‑hectare blaze near Bordeaux that has displaced over 300,000 people.
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about 24 hours ago
[INTERNATIONAL] 8 sourcesCroatian Air Force pilots assist in battling Bordeaux wildfiresCroatian Air Force pilots, part of the EU RescEU mission, fought Bordeaux wildfires, completing 72 flights and dropping 402 t of water; France evacuated ~250 k people, and President Macron thanked Croatia.
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3 days ago
[INTERNATIONAL] 2 sourcesCroatian Canadair aircraft deployed to fight wildfires in France’s Gironde regionCroatia sent a Canadair CL‑415 firefighting plane and 11 personnel to aid France’s Gironde wildfires as authorities evacuated about 23,000 people from the Cap Ferret peninsula.
Sources
24sata.hr · cnn.gr · croatiaweek.com · electrons.cz · flash.gr · glasistre.hr · haschcon.com · insider.gr · m.24sata.hr · noplanetb.tportal.hr · optimalis.hu · reseaufemmes.ch · southernwater.co.uk · thessnews.gr · total-croatia-news.com · tv4.se · vecernji.hr
This summary has been updated 3 times: see revision history