EU countries offer 280 firefighters to help Canada battle blazes

As forest fires continue to blaze in Canada, affecting not just the country but cities in the US too, European Union countries have offered to send firefighters to help the government battle the blazes, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said Thursday.Smoke from the wildfire choked New York City in a record-breaking apocalyptic smog Wednesday with several cities on the East Coast issuing pollution warnings while thousands flee their homes in Canada."Canada has requested support from the EU Civil Protection Mechanism - and we are responding promptly," von der Leyen tweeted."France, Portugal and Spain are offering the help of more than 280 firefighters. More will come," she added.Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has described the wildfires as the country's worst ever. More than 20,000 people have evacuated their homes in Canada as the fires have scorched about 3.8 million hectares of land.More than 100 million people across the northeastern United States, and extending west to Chicago and south to Atlanta, were under pollution warnings after the smoke drifted hundreds of miles from Canada, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said.With inputs from agenciesRead all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.