EU Civil Protection: France receives aerial support to combat wildfires

Saumos – 24 July 2026: In response to severe wildfires in the southwest of the country, France has activated the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism. President Emmanuel Macron announced European reinforcements for the particularly hard-hit Gironde region. A fire that broke out near Saumos on 21 July had spread across the areas of Le Porge and Lège-Cap-Ferret. Authorities ordered extensive evacuations on the Cap-Ferret peninsula.

According to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, more than 50,000 hectares have been damaged by fires in France since the beginning of the year. The fire in Gironde alone had affected more than 10,000 hectares by Friday, making it the largest of the current season so far. The Interior Ministry also reported 32 active fires of varying sizes. The situation illustrates how quickly simultaneous fire incidents can tie up available national resources.

The requested European assistance includes two Croatian Canadair firefighting aircraft, two Portuguese Air Tractor aircraft, and one heavy Black Hawk helicopter each from the Czech Republic and Slovakia. These resources will not replace French operational command, but will supplement its aerial capabilities. Operational command for evacuations, ground operations and the protection of threatened communities remains with the French authorities and regional fire services.

The EU mechanism is based on a simple principle: an affected country requests assistance through the European Emergency Response Coordination Centre in Brussels. There, offers from participating states are pooled, transport and deployments are coordinated, and available resources are allocated according to urgency. The centre operates on year-round standby; during wildfire season, national specialists and scientists reinforce its situation analysis.

In addition to capacities voluntarily provided by member states, the Union can draw on the rescEU reserve. It includes firefighting aircraft, helicopters and other specialist resources maintained for cross-border crises. The mechanism is therefore not a European replacement for national civil protection systems, but an instrument for situations in which several major disasters occur at the same time or individual countries need to rapidly expand their reserves.

France has expanded its own capacities following the devastating fires of 2022. The state is contributing 150 million euros to a total 250 million euro investment programme for fire and rescue services. In addition, two Canadair aircraft were purchased for nearly 200 million euros, while two more aircraft were jointly financed with the EU. By 2032, France’s Canadair fleet is expected to grow to 16 aircraft.

Nevertheless, the current request demonstrates the limits of purely national preparedness. During periods of heat, drought and wind, wildfires can spread simultaneously across several regions of Europe. European solidarity then increases response capacity in the short term; however, it replaces neither preventive forest management nor local hazard prevention. According to the French civil protection authority, almost nine out of ten fire outbreaks are caused by human activities.