EU provides help through the Civil Protection Mechanism for forest fires in France

Background and further information:

The European Commission immediately helped mobilising a Canadair aircraft from Italy through the Mechanism. In addition, the EU's emergency Copernicus satellite started providing damage assessment maps of the affected areas.

The European Commission's Emergency Response Coordination Centre, which monitors natural disasters 24/7, kept contact with the French civil protection authorities and started monitoring developments and any other assistance that could be requested.

France activated on 25 July 2017 the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism as forest fires ravaged southern regions of the country and Corsica.

• Primary Source

European Commission: Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection: EU Civil Protection Mechanism http://ec.europa.eu/echo/what/civil-protection/mechanism_en

Reuters, 26.07.17: Wildfires prompt 10,000 evacuations on French Riviera http://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-wildfires-idUSKBN1AB0WK

France24, 26.07.17: Wildfires prompt major evacuations near French Riviera http://www.france24.com/en/20170726-wildfires-france-major-evacuations-near-french-riviera

BBC News, 26.07.17: France wildfires force mass evacuation http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40725294

Deutsche Welle, 26.07.17: France evacuates thousands as wildfires spread http://p.dw.com/p/2h99c

The Local.fr, 25.07.17: What you need to know about France's blazing forest fires https://www.thelocal.fr/20170725/what-you-need-to-know-about-frances-blazing-forest-fires

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