The risk of fire increases exponentially in exceptionally high temperatures, as shown by the recent spate of wildfires in Hamm or Rumelange. The absence of air assistance, however, was noticeable - standard in other countries, but not in the Grand Duchy, despite the equipment being readily available.
The Air Rescue association has owned a so-called Bambi Bucket for ten years - a type of bucket that can be affixed to a helicopter in the event of forest or field fires, capable of holding up to 800 litres of water.
However, since 2016 it has not been possible for Air Rescue to intervene in cases of fire, due to an EU regulation which requires special training for pilots in order to use fire fighting equipment. The founder and president of Air Rescue, René Closter, explained in an interview with RTL that it was a financial issue.
Closter said that although the Minister for Home Affairs and the Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps had petitioned the government to fund the training required, the state was unwilling to cover the costs.
It is not just fire fighting which requires additional training - the act of lifting a person to safety using a harness and ropes also requires specialised training courses for the pilot. Funding for these has also been denied by the government, choosing instead to appeal to neighbouring countries for help in such situations.
