Originally published at The Crux
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Firefighters from Spain to Greece have been battling blazes for months, with fires in Spain and France garnering sustained headlines all summer. Just this week, one of the largest fires ever recorded in Belgium was burning largely out of control, despite weather that eased conditions for hundreds of firefighters engaged in the battle.
Those combatting the fires need spiritual care as well as logistical and other moral support.
Speaking to Crux Now, the fire chaplain at the Utrecht Safety Region in the Netherlands, Leon Bal, said firefighters need acute spiritual support to help them carry on with their jobs in the face of trauma, guilt, and loss.
“The overwhelming wildfires, where you cannot see the beginning or the end, and when firefighting sometimes seems to make no difference at all—that overwhelming experience, and the experience of powerlessness to save homes, and sometimes human lives—certainly calls for heartfelt and spiritual care,” Bal said.
“That begins with acknowledging someone’s experiences, with listening in complete confidentiality and safety, as only spiritual caregivers can. And with finding comfort, courage, and renewed inspiration, to be able to pick up life again, to be able to bear it,” he added.
According to the European Commission, since
