UK Firefighters Battle Blazes in Greece with Chainsaws and Drones
A tough UK team is battling wildfires in Greece, cutting down trees and chopping brush to create crucial fire breaks. Armed with hand tools and chainsaws, their work is protecting village power supplies and stopping fire spread.
Drones Provide Eye in the Sky for Firefighters
Sky News caught the team in action alongside the National Resilience unit. They used a Sky News drone to scan fire zones and spot advancing flames. Drone operators from Lancashire and London Fire Brigades are also carrying out aerial thermal surveys to track hotspots.
Weather Whiplash Fuels Fire Fears
Wind speed and direction are constantly shifting in Greece’s Ilia region, where the team is now deployed. These tricky conditions shape the fire front and mean plans must be reassessed often. Before any work starts, crews weigh up site risks, weather, and fire behavior to keep operations safe and effective.
UK Crews Rotating to Beat Heat and Exhaustion
The 21-strong team includes firefighters from Merseyside, Lancashire, South Wales, London, and the West Midlands. All are fit and well, rotating shifts to avoid heat stress. This deployment followed an official call for help from the UK Home Secretary to support Greece’s firefighting efforts.
