Several EU countries have offered to send nearly 300 firefighters to Canada to help fight the raging wildfires there, European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen announced on Wednesday.
“In the face of the terrible wildfires, we stand in solidarity with Canada. Canada has asked the EU for assistance under the Civil Protection Mechanism and we are responding promptly. France, Portugal and Spain have offered to send more than 280 firefighters,” she announced in a message on Twitter.
“More help will come,” she assured.
Hard-hit by historic fires, after Canada’s provinces of Alberta (west) and Nova Scotia (east), Quebec is impatient for international reinforcements as smoke from about 400 Canadian fires impacts the United States. United States.
The authorities consider the situation in terms of hectares burned at this time of year to be exceptional.
Canada as a whole is experiencing an unprecedented year, with around 2,300 wildfires recorded and around 3.8 million hectares burned, overall well above the average for recent decades.