Greece has extended the deployment of its Canadair firefighting aircraft in Spain by an additional 24 hours to assist in battling major wildfires, the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection announced.
The extension follows a request from the European Emergency Response Coordination Center(ERCC), with the Greek mission operating under the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM).
After reviewing the latest weather forecasts and assessing the operational readiness that will be required in Greece, the government informed the ERCC that the deployment could be extended by one more day. The request was subsequently accepted.
According to the ministry, the decision also takes into account weather conditions expected in Greece later this week. Forecasts indicate strong northerly winds of 7 to 8 Beaufort on Friday, July 31, and over the weekend of August 1–2, while high temperatures are expected to persist across western and northern parts of the country.
Officials said those conditions require the firefighting aircraft to return to Greece so they will be available to respond to any wildfires that may break out domestically.
Under the original operational plan, the Greek mission was scheduled to complete its deployment on Tuesday, July 28, with the aircraft returning to Greece on Wednesday, July 29, 2026.
