Serbia has offered a “Super Puma” helicopter to help fight large forest fires in Spain and it will soon be involved in extinguishing operations, the Spanish Ministry of Interior announced.
As stated, the helicopter will be included in firefighting operations, which are most pronounced in the provinces of Ávila, Madrid, Toledo, and Castellón, reports Spain’s El País.
Serbia’s assistance builds upon the support sent to Spain through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, within which assistance has already been provided by Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Turkey.
Spain declares a national emergency due to wildfires in Madrid and other major cities 🔥🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/XOywDr9SE4
— France Safety Travel (@francesafetytra) July 28, 2026
International aid has already been deployed on the ground and includes two “Canadair” firefighting aircraft and one support aircraft sent by Greece, 14 emergency service personnel and two “Canadair” aircraft from Italy, as well as 129 rescue service personnel and 41 emergency response vehicles provided by Portugal.
Major forest fires that swept through the Spanish regions of Ávila, Madrid, and Toledo forced about 90,000 people into evacuation or isolation, while the fire in Ávila became the largest in Spain’s recent history with around 50,000 hectares of burned area, El País reports.
The fires are still active, and extinguishing efforts are made difficult by strong gusts of wind. Although some improvement was recorded over the weekend, fire services warn that the situation remains complex and that the fires are not yet fully brought under control.
In Spain, 79,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in villages west of Madrid and in Castellón, a province on the eastern coast, while 30,000 others have been confined to their homes, the government said. pic.twitter.com/qHTI3SA3Ap
— The Associated Press (@AP) July 27, 2026
Firefighting teams from Serbia depart for Spain today
Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia and Minister of Interior Ivica Dačić stated that he expects firefighting teams from Serbia to depart today for Spain, where they will provide assistance in extinguishing the large fires that have swept through that country.
“Since it is fire season, we offered help to France and Spain, and Spain accepted the helicopter and the ground team, and I think they will set off for Spain today,” Dačić said during an appearance on RTS.
He added that they are waiting for a response from France so Serbia can help them as much as possible.
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Source: RTS, Politika; Photo: Chat GPT prompt by Serbian Times