Following a request for assistance from Chile, France, Portugal and Spain deployed more than 250 firefighters, coordination experts, and medical personnel to the most affected areas via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

Numerous wildfires have been burning across central and southern Chile due to record high temperatures.

The European civil protection response includes:

• A team of 141 firefighters, coordination experts, and medical personnel from Portugal.
• A team composed of 80 firefighters from France.
• 2 Ground Forest Fire teams of 28 people total and a Forest Fire-Fighting Assessment and Advisory Team (FAST) of 10 experts from Spain.
• A Liaison Officer from the EU’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre’s is deployed to Chile and an EU Civil Protection Team is planned to be sent in the next days.
• The European Emergency Response Centre has activated the EU’s Aristotle reporting service and the Copernicus Emergency Satellite Mapping Service, producing 15 maps so far.

Earlier this year, the EU has already channelled €100,000 in emergency assistance to support the Chilean Red Cross working with people affected by the late December fires in the upper part of the Valparaíso Region, 120 km from Santiago.

The EU’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre is in constant contact with the Chilean authorities to channel further assistance and the EU stands ready to provide further help as requested.

High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell said: “European solidarity knows no borders. We stand by Chile at this time of great need and are proud to support the response efforts. I thank our first responders for putting EU solidarity in action. Chile can count on our support in the fight against the devastating effects of climate change, a global challenge.”

Janez Lenarčič, Commissioner for Crisis Management, said: “At a time when our continent is facing such massive emergencies as the earthquake in Türkey and Syria and the war in Ukraine, I praise France, Portugal and Spain for not forgetting what is happening in other parts of the world. The response to this overwhelming disaster, mobilised by the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, demonstrates yet again its value added in international efforts to save lives, while representing best of European solidarity in action both within the EU and around the world.”