A wildfire scorched more than 15 square miles in the foothills of the Pentadaktylos mountain range in northern Cyprus Thursday. The fire was threatening three villages before residents worked together to clear brush to eliminate fuel from the encroaching blaze.

Israel dispatched two water-dropping aircraft as both sides of the divided island joined forces to battle the blaze. The government of the Republic of Cyprus, which controls the southern, Greek-speaking region, sent three aircraft to the Turkish Cypriot north where the fire burned. The planes were sent in response to a request for aid via the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, which was coordinating the response to the incident, France24 reported. Israel, Cyprus and Greece have an agreement to cooperate when natural disasters, such as wildfires, strike.

The fight was joined by aircraft sent from Turkey, the U.N. and the British military bases on the island.

The Associated Press reported that Cyprus government deputy spokeswoman Niovi Parissinou said that government authorities are “always ready and willing” to help during times of crisis despite political complexities on the island, which has been divided since 1974.

Authorities were hopeful to gain control over the fire on Thursday, but winds further stoked the flames.

The wildfire strikes as much of Europe was gripped by a record-breaking heat wave this weekand wildfires struck in both Turkey and Spain.

MORE FROM WEATHER.COM: Turkey's Latest Wildfire Revives Memories of Last Year's Devastating Blazes

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.