Sweden has dispatched scoop aircraft to Belgium for forest fire fighting

Belgium has requested support from other countries via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (ERCC) to combat a large forest fire in the High Fens nature reserve. Sweden, through the Civil Defense Agency, responded quickly to the request and was able to deploy a team and two scoop aircraft to Belgium within a few hours — now on site and participating in the firefighting efforts. This means they are shared EU resources, with the EU covering most of the preparedness and operational costs, while Sweden acts as the host country. The strength of EU cooperation is that we use our resources efficiently and collaborate to help each other. The scoop aircraft are part of an additional safety net called rescEU, which involves EU-wide resources. Our crews train and carry out operations annually with other EU countries, enabling reinforcement across Europe to happen smoothly, safely, and effectively.