Croatian commander calls French wildfires a 'catastrophe'

Croatian firefighters are on the front lines of a devastating wildfire crisis in France, with the commander of the 855th Firefighting Squadron of the Croatian Air Force describing the situation as a "catastrophe."

Pukovnik Milan Došen, commander of the squadron, stated that Croatian crews were immediately deployed to the most challenging fire sites upon arrival. After assisting with fires near Nîmes, their Canadair aircraft were urgently redirected to the Bordeaux region. "It's a catastrophe there, I don't know how else to put it," Došen said. "The fire is huge, burning 40,000 hectares, with a 25-kilometer fire line. By area, it can be compared to the entire island of Krk or the city of Zagreb."

International forces are working alongside French firefighters, with crews from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Sweden, and Australia providing support. At one point, 20 different aircraft were airborne simultaneously, engaged in firefighting efforts. While the terrain's configuration is not significantly different from Croatia's, the immense amount of smoke and the vast scale of the fires present major difficulties.

Došen highlighted the added complexity of coordinating a large number of aircraft from various nations. "Such operations are much more demanding than working at home. You don't know the terrain, and when multiple different types of aircraft are flying in the same space and applying different working methods, coordination must be flawless. You have to know exactly what you are doing at all times," he explained. Despite the inherent risks, he emphasized that Croatian pilots are highly trained for such demanding and dangerous missions, stating, "It's quite an adrenaline-fueled job, there's always risk, but we are professionals and we've learned to cope with it."

The Croatian Air Force stands ready to assist partner nations promptly. "As soon as the Croatian government decides to help someone, we are ready to fly anywhere in Europe within 24 hours," Došen added.