Romanian firefighters deployed to France carried out operations to identify and extinguish active fire hotspots, contain the spread of wildfires and protect threatened assets as part of a mission supporting the French authorities in combating vegetation fires.

'Romanian firefighters from the national specialist forest firefighting module continued their support mission yesterday, operating in several sectors in line with the development of the fires and operational priorities set by their French counterparts,' the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU) said.

The situation on the ground remains complex, with flare-ups and isolated hotspots fuelled by strong winds and dry vegetation. French authorities are using aerial firefighting assets in coordination with ground crews deployed in the affected areas.

Romanian firefighters were frequently required to reach remote locations on foot across difficult terrain and steep slopes inaccessible to firefighting vehicles.

'To supply firefighting equipment with water, crews laid hose lines over distances of approximately 500 to 600 metres, enabling them to tackle hotspots in isolated areas,' according to the press release.

Operations were carried out under difficult conditions due to strong winds, which accelerated the spread of the flames and required constant adjustments to the firefighting strategy.

Through their operations, the Romanian firefighters helped contain the spread of the fires and protect vulnerable assets in the affected areas.

The mission continues under the coordination of the French authorities within the framework of the European Civil Protection Mechanism, with Romanian firefighters continuing to work alongside their French counterparts to limit the impact of the vegetation fires and protect communities and assets in at-risk areas. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Daniel Alexandru Florea; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)