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“Garfield,” the New Colleague Who Won Over Romanian Firefighters in Greece

From Adevărul · () Romanian

Translated from Romanian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Official statement Ongoing story
  • Romanian firefighters on assignment in Greece encountered a friendly cat that approached their team during patrols in areas at high risk of wildfires.
  • The firefighters gave the cat food and water, and it stayed near them throughout the exercise as their unofficial mascot.
  • Romania deployed firefighters and specialized equipment to Greece from Aug. 1 to Sept. 15, 2026, through a European wildfire-support program.

A cat named Garfield has become the unexpected mascot of a Romanian firefighting team working in Greece. The firefighters encountered him during patrol and reconnaissance missions in areas at high risk of wildfires.

The General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations said the cat looked strikingly like the famous comic-strip character. It described him as friendly and curious, saying he approached the team immediately and appeared ready to join the operation. The firefighters gave him water and food, after which Garfield chose to remain with them.

He approached immediately, friendly and curious, seemingly determined to join the operation as well.

· General Inspectorate for Emergency SituationsThe Romanian emergency authority described how Garfield first approached the firefighters.

Throughout the exercise, the cat stayed close to the rescuers and watched their work. He had no helmet, uniform or firefighting equipment, the inspectorate said, but took his role as team mascot seriously. The account added that emergency crews protect and save lives and property while also remembering the smallest and most vulnerable creatures.

He may not have had a helmet, uniform or intervention equipment, but he took his role as the team’s mascot very seriously.

· General Inspectorate for Emergency SituationsThe inspectorate described Garfield’s presence during the firefighters’ exercise.

Romania sent firefighters to Greece again at the end of July to support Greek authorities in fighting forest fires. From Aug. 1 to Sept. 15, 2026, the Department for Emergency Situations, through the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, is taking part in a European pre-positioning program coordinated by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations.

The Romanian deployment includes fire engines with capacities of 3,000, 5,000 and 10,000 liters, a 30,000-liter tanker, a command vehicle equipped with an unmanned aircraft system, a radio communications vehicle, a minibus, a container truck and an all-terrain utility vehicle equipped for firefighting. The European Union funds the program, which supports southern European countries affected by devastating wildfires in recent years.

In our missions, we protect and save lives and property, but we never forget the smallest and most vulnerable souls. Because every life matters.

· General Inspectorate for Emergency SituationsThe authority connected the cat’s story to the broader purpose of the firefighters’ work.
About this summary

Originally published by Adevărul in Romanian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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