After arriving, the Ukrainian emergency responders met with leadership from the Departmental Fire and Rescue Service (SDIS 33) and representatives of the EU's Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC). During the meeting, Aurélien Petit, SDIS 33's deputy chief of operations, said the fire had burned approximately 42,000 hectares with a perimeter reaching 240 kilometers.
"The French side noted that Ukrainian specialists will work in the most difficult areas, since their practical experience is unique and highly valued by partners," the SES said in its statement. “Ukraine currently represents the largest international team among all countries involved.”
Following the meeting, the Ukrainian rescuers headed to the disaster area, where they conducted a reconnaissance of the terrain, assessed the operational situation, and identified sectors where they will begin firefighting and containment work.
On July 31, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said that, on the instruction of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, a joint team of 70 rescuers and 15 specialized wildfire-fighting vehicles was dispatched to France.
Extreme heat waves, drought and strong winds have sparked more than 1,400 fires across southern Europe. France and Spain have been hit hardest, with fires approaching major cities and forcing more than 300,000 residents and tourists to evacuate.
Near Bordeaux, France, a wildfire has already burned 91,000 hectares of forest — an all-time record for the country for a single year, even though summer is not yet over. The fire has grown so large that it triggered a rare localized thunderstorm. The situation in Gironde has since been partially stabilized, and more than 80,000 evacuated residents have returned home.