Dozens of firefighters from Finland are heading to Greece assist in extinguishing wildfires.
Around 50 firefighters from permanent and volunteer fire departments in Finland will make the trip. The Finnish delegation will be led by the Emergency Services Department of Eastern Uusimaa, based in Porvoo.
The first group of Finnish rescue personnel will leave in early August, according to Pelastustoimi, which represents the nation's 22 rescue departments and operates under the Interior Ministry.
With last year's fires burning almost 130,000 hectares of land in Greece last year, the country asked for international help in advance in order to fend off a new disaster. In addition to Finland, many other European countries have responded to the request.
Greek firefighters have been battling wildfires on the island of Lesbos since Saturday as well as new fires in the western Peloponnese and in northern Greece, evacuating nearby settlements as a heatwave set in.
This week, temperatures in the country are projected to reach 40 degrees Celsius.
According to the European Union's EFFIS satellite monitoring service, fires that have torched through Europe are on course to make 2022 a record year for forest loss on the continent, as scientists warn climate change is already contributing to ever fiercer blazes.
TetraSys Oy.