During the summer of 2025, the Czech part of the AFFF-H RescEU aerial firefighting module actively participated in international interventions in forest fires in Europe. Crews from HELI COMPANY and Czech firefighters deployed UH-60A Black Hawk helicopters in Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro and Spain, where they helped to manage large-scale fires in the most challenging conditions.
North Macedonia (30 July – 3 August 2025)
The HELI COMPANY helicopter intervened with a crew from the Moravian-Silesian Region and Prague Fire and Rescue Service in mountainous terrain near the villages of Berevo and Strovija, where it faced challenging conditions – bad weather and high temperatures. The effectiveness of the firefighting was improved by filling water directly in the vicinity of the fire and close cooperation with the Macedonian army, police and the Slovenian firefighting module.
Bulgaria (July 28 – August 2, 2025)
A HELI COMPANY helicopter with a crew from the Moravian-Silesian and South Moravian Regions Fire Department intervened in Bulgaria. It helped extinguish a large fire in the Pirin Mountains in the Strumyani area, which affected up to 40,000 hectares. The biggest obstacle was thick smoke and deteriorated weather, but thanks to coordination with the Slovak HELI COMPANY team, the effectiveness of the interventions was increased. This joint action saved dozens of homes and prevented the fire from spreading to forest areas.
Albania (August 10 – August 16, 2025)
The Czech HELI COMPANY team intervened in Albania to extinguish large forest fires in mountainous and difficult-to-access terrain. Over five days, it carried out 197 Bambi bucket drops and cooperated with the HELI COMPANY team from Slovakia, the United Arab Emirates, Italy and Albania. Extreme temperatures above 40°C, strong winds and a lack of fuel at the scene made operations significantly more difficult. Nevertheless, the mission was assessed as highly professional and beneficial in terms of coordination and international cooperation.
Montenegro (15 August – 20 August 2025)
The Czech HELI COMPANY team was deployed in Montenegro to extinguish large fires around the capital Podgorica. Together with crews from the Moravian-Silesian and Central Bohemian Fire Departments, they performed tasks in challenging mountainous terrain with extreme temperatures and strong winds. The interventions helped protect many houses and inhabited areas from direct fire. The Czech HELI COMPANY team operated within the framework of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and cooperated with units from Switzerland and Austria.
Spain (August 19 – August 28, 2025)
The Czech HELI COMPANY team and the AFFF-H aerial firefighting module operated in Spain to extinguish large-scale forest fires in the mountainous regions of León and Extremadura. The crew worked together with the Slovak HELI COMPANY team, Spanish and other international units. The firefighting took place in very difficult terrain above 2000 m above sea level, where it was only possible to intervene by air, with Czech aerial firefighting crews coordinating the interventions directly from the terrain. For their professional performance and cooperation, the Czech team received thanks from the Spanish Civil Protection and the Matacán base.
Season 2025 in numbers
During five deployments, the Czech AFFF-H RescEU team:
- conducted aerial firefighting operations for more than 34 days
- performed more than 709 Bambi bucket drops
- worked more than 102.5 flight hours
- dropped more than 2.41 million liters of water
The deployments confirmed the high readiness and professionalism of the HELI COMPANY crews and Czech fire departments, who with their work significantly contributed to the joint European effort to fight forest fires and to protect the most valuable – human lives, homes and nature.
