The decision to send aid on Friday during an extraordinary remote meeting was made by the Government.
Read more The first Russian missile incident NATO: «Time to do what the Kremlin does not want»
“France has been suffering from large-scale fires for several weeks now, due to various heat waves, drought, and strong winds the fires have spread significantly, are uncontrolled and difficult to manage,” said Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas.
40 officers from the State Fire and Rescue Service will go to France – a management group and 32 firefighters. Nine specialized vehicles will be sent along, including five fire trucks.
As previously reported by the Government Office, firefighters from the State Fire and Rescue Service will depart on Saturday to help extinguish large forest fires in southern France.
Lithuanian firefighters will be sent to France through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism.
The team will travel to France by land transport, carrying all the necessary equipment, devices, communication tools, personal protective equipment, camping gear, and other supplies essential for independent work and living at the operation site.
Read more A UK and Azerbaijan citizen detained in Cyprus: accused of espionage
The trip is expected to take about three days.
Upon arrival, Lithuanian firefighters will be welcomed by representatives of the French civil protection authorities. The team will be directed to the deployment site, where some will set up camp, while the rest will immediately proceed to the designated forest fire extinguishing location and carry out assigned tasks.
“The Lithuanian team will work in France as long as needed and as long as their capabilities are required for the fire extinguishing operation. The specific nature of tasks, deployment location, and operation duration will be determined by the responsible French authorities, taking into account the changing situation,” the statement reads.
The National Crisis Management Center coordinates the provision of international civil protection assistance.
As BNS reported, French firefighters in the Gironde region have been fighting forest fires for more than a week, which have forced the evacuation of 220,000 people.
Read more Poland determined which rocket created the 10-meter diameter crater
The fires destroyed more than 200 homes and devastated an area of 42,000 hectares.
