Polish firefighters returned to Poland on Monday after a two weeks of tackling wild fires in Sweden. They were welcomed in Świnoujście, northwestern Poland, by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and other top officials.

"We are extremely proud of your work, because you have confirmed our national specialty of solidarity with others at difficult times," Morawiecki said. He thanked the firefighters for their "professionalism, incredible perseverance and an excellent job".

Interior Minister Joachim Brudziński said that thanks to the Polish firefighters' actions in Sweden, the last two weeks had been "one of the most beautiful trademarks and promotions of our country."

Minister of Maritime Economy and Inland Waterways Marek Gróbarczyk said the assistance provided to the Swedes "is a very important gesture in the international context."

Around 140 Polish firefighters tackled forest fires in central Sweden from July 22 till August 3. During that time, the Polish emergency crews were self-sufficient in terms of logistics and medical resources. The team included medical rescuers and had its own tents, food and fuel.

The expedition to Sweden was a response to an official request by the Swedish authorities for rescue support in the fight against forest fires, made under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Forest fires in Sweden were the result of high temperatures not typical for Scandinavia, and low rainfall.

Autor: gf / Źródło: TVN24 International, PAP