30/01/2017 (Agence Europe) – European solidarity is being stepped up, through the EU civil protection mechanism, to help Chilean authorities bring the forest fires which have already claimed lives and caused significant damage under control. So far, eight civil protection experts provided by four member states (Spain, Finland, France and Sweden), eighty officials from the Commission’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) and 180 firefighters have been deployed, European Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Commissioner Christos Stylianides said on Monday 30 January. Sixty Spanish firefighters have joined those already offered by France (65) and Portugal (55) – the first two countries to respond to the request for assistance from the Chilean authorities (see EUROPE 11713). (AN)