German fire fighters depart for Greece

A convoy consisting of 19 fire brigade vehicles and 56 firefighters left Bonn early Sunday morning for Greece.

The fire brigades from Bonn, Koenigswinter and Leverkusen have been requested to help tackle the forest fires in Greece.

The EU made the plea directly to Germany for aid with the crisis.

Among other units, they offered the forest fire module operated by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

The services are expected to arrive in the greater Athens area by Thursday, using land and water routes.

Carsten Schneider, Deputy Chief of Fire and Rescue Service Bonn said his team aims "to be on the ferry in Ancona tomorrow at around 13:30."

The fire services are likely to spend a week in Greece before returning home.

The European Civil Protection Mechanism provides so-called forest fire modules for emergencies such as the one currently in Greece.

They can be requested at short notice and are well prepared within the European Union.