**Polish Firefighters Return from Spain After Month‑Long Deployment**
*Warsaw, 2 September 2026* – The final rotation of the Polish Ground Forest Fire Fighting (GFFF) module has completed its mission in Spain and returned to Poland. The 35‑member team, operating under the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, spent the past month assisting Spanish authorities in combating extensive wildfires that have devastated thousands of hectares of forest and greenland, prompting large‑scale evacuations.
The third and last Polish rotation, which began on 20 August, included 12 firefighters from the Lublin Voivodeship. These personnel represented the Provincial Fire Service Headquarters in Lublin, the Municipal Fire Service Headquarters in Lublin and Zamość, as well as the County Fire Service Headquarters in Kraśnik, Krasnystaw and Puławy. They took over duties from colleagues stationed in Olsztyn, Łódź and Poznań.
During the operation on the Iberian Peninsula, the Polish contingent was split into two sub‑units:
* **Team Alpha** – Based at the Talavera de la Reina helicopter base, the team underwent training in aerial transport procedures and other fire‑fighting techniques.
* **Team Bravo** – Focused on establishing and maintaining communication systems for the mission.
The GFFF module is a specialized unit designed to fight forest fires from the ground in terrain that is inaccessible to conventional fire‑fighting vehicles. Working in rugged, high‑temperature environments required the firefighters to use handheld equipment and to construct firebreaks manually.
Upon arrival at Kraków Airport, the returning firefighters were received by Deputy Commander of the State Fire Service, Sławomir Sierpatowski. In his remarks, Sierpatowski thanked the personnel for their professionalism, dedication, and for representing Poland and the State Fire Service abroad.
After the official welcome, the firefighters returned to their respective home stations to resume regular duties.
*The information is based on a report published by *Tygodnik Zamojski*.*
Article and image source: tygodnikzamojski.pl
