- by croatiaweek
- August 2, 2026
-
in
News
(Photo: HRZ)
Croatian military firefighting crews have returned home after completing a 10 day deployment in France, where they helped tackle catastrophic wildfires as part of the European Union’s RescEU civil protection mechanism.
Members of the 855th Firefighting Squadron of the 93rd Wing of the Croatian Air Force arrived back at Colonel Marko Živković Barracks in Zemunik on Saturday after taking part in firefighting operations between 24 July and 2 August 2026.
The deployment came at the request of the French government and was approved by the Croatian Government, with the consent of the President of Croatia, under the framework of the European Civil Protection Mechanism RescEU.
During the mission, Croatian pilots, flight engineers and aircraft technicians worked alongside French counterparts to combat large scale wildfires around Bordeaux, Salernes, Biscarrosse and east of Marseille.
The Croatian crews completed 225 flights, logged 51 hours and 40 minutes of flying time and dropped 1,224 tonnes of water on the fires.
(Photo: HRZ)
Captain of one of the Canadair CL-415 aircraft, Major Ivan Dukić, described the scale of the disaster as unlike anything he had experienced.
He said the wildfire west of Bordeaux had burned around 42,000 hectares, an area roughly four times the size of Paris. He also spoke of the devastation caused by the fires, including destroyed homes, damaged industrial facilities and burnt vineyards.
(Photo: HRZ)
Despite the challenges, Dukić said working with French colleagues and exchanging knowledge and experience had been invaluable, adding that it was a great honour for Croatia and the squadron to assist France, just as they protect Croatia from wildfires each summer.
Croatia’s specialised aerial firefighting crews are widely recognised for their expertise and are regularly called upon to assist other European countries during severe wildfire seasons.
Their latest mission once again highlights Croatia’s important contribution to international disaster response and the protection of lives and property across Europe.
