Maltese firefighters en route to Greece to combat devastating wildfires amid heatwave crisis

A contingent of 20 firefighters from the Civil Protection Department is en route to Greece to assist in combatting the devastating wildfires that have ravaged extensive areas of the country.

The deployment of these firefighters was prompted by a request for assistance made by Greece to the European Union.

Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri bid farewell to the team and expressed gratitude for the effective firefighting training and investments made in recent years. 

He assured that the deployment would not compromise Malta's readiness to handle emergencies.

Director-General Peter Paul Coleiro noted that this marks the first time Maltese personnel have been dispatched to combat wildfires abroad. 

However, a few months ago, the department deployed a team to aid in search and rescue efforts following massive earthquakes in Turkey. 

Coleiro pointed out that Maltese firefighters are well-trained to operate in similar climatic conditions as those in Greece.

The firefighters are expected to remain in Greece for a duration of two weeks.

Greece has been grappling with a scorching heatwave, leading the authorities to take precautionary measures for visitors' health, including temporarily closing the Acropolis in Athens during the hottest hours.

Italy, and Spain have also been experiencing the same high temperatures for several days already. 

Italy has issued a red alert for 16 cities including Rome, Bologna and Florence for the weekend.

The heatwave is expected to continue well into next week, with 48C possible in Sardinia, Italian media reports.

Such a temperature would, however, fall short of the European record high of 48.8C which was recorded in Sicily in August 2021.

On Saturday, Malta’s highest temperature reached at least 37°C and is expected to rise to 40°C in the coming days.

The Meteorological Office even issued an orange alert for Sunday, as the maximum temperature is expected to reach 38°C.