Israel sends firefighters to combat Montenegro’s blazes

As Montenegro struggles to contain devastating wildfires amid high summer temperatures and dry weather, an Israeli professional team has responded to an international call for assistance.

Israel dispatched firefighters on Thursday to assist Montenegro, which is fighting devastating forest fires that have spread across the country’s coast.​

Following Montenegro’s appeal to NATO for international help, Israel sent assistance to the Balkan country. A delegation of firefighters, two civilian firefighting planes and two Israeli Air Force (IAF) planes took off.

“Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, IDF, Israel Police and other government agencies are alert and ready to provide aid to every country that is in need,” Israel’s foreign ministry stated.

Israel is known for sending professional teams and equipment to countries contending with natural disasters as well as other emergencies. Most recently, for instance, the IDF revealed the full extent of its massive humanitarian aid to Syrian victims of that country’s civil war.

Herzl Edri, director of the Foreign Ministry’s Situation Room, noted that Israel sees “great importance in international cooperation and mutual assistance in this field.”

In Montenegro, firefighting planes have been struggling to prevent the blaze from spreading any further amid high summer temperatures and dry weather. At least 100 people were evacuated in an affected tourist area.

Authorities have expressed fears of more wildfires with a new heat wave expected this weekend.

By: World Israel Staff