Israel sent a firefighting delegation to Montenegro to help the country fight raging wildfires which are ravaging the country.
Over 100 tourists have been forced to evacuate Montenegro’s much desired Adriatic coastline as the fire, fueled by strong winds and dry weather, spread near homes and campsites.
The Montenegrin government pledged for international help to fight the fire, and Israel was on hand help. The Jewish state sent an elite firefighting team, backed up by the Israeli Air Force’s Fire Squadron. Israel also sent two firefighting airplanes to help tackle the blaze.
The Israeli operation was given the name “Black Mountain” and was a major help to the Montenegrin authorities. The Israeli team dropped a staggering 78,000 liters of fire retardant while carrying out 36 sorties that lasted more than 42 hours.
Israel’s help to Montenegro is not surprising however. Israel often sends firefighting teams to help other countries deal with huge forest fires, with Israel helping countries such as Cyprus in 2016. Israel also received aid from numerous countries last year to help deal with the huge wildfires which spread across the country.
Contributed by Daniel Kosky, CAMERA Intern.