France strengthens its aerial support against forest fires with European assistance

Le Porge – 24 July 2026: In response to the severe forest fires in Gironde, France is strengthening its aerial support and activated the European Civil Protection Mechanism during the night of 24 July. According to information from the presidency and European authorities, additional aircraft from several Member States are set to provide assistance. These reinforcements are intended for ongoing operations, while firefighters remain engaged on several fire fronts in the southwest.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, the national civil security fleet comprises 23 firefighting and transport aircraft. It includes twelve Canadair amphibious aircraft, eight Dash aircraft and three Beechcraft aircraft. The resources are not permanently assigned to a single location, but are redeployed depending on weather conditions, fire developments and the needs of operational command centers. The aim is for aerial support to arrive as quickly as possible where ground teams need it.

Canadair aircraft are primarily intended for direct attacks on active fire fronts. They can collect water from suitable bodies of water and quickly return to the operational area. Dash aircraft complement this mission. They can drop water or fire retardants and are used in particular to slow flame fronts or secure threatened areas before a fire arrives. Beechcraft aircraft are mainly used for reconnaissance and coordination of operations from the air.

The new development is the planned support of an Airbus A400M from the air force. On 17 July, the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of the Armed Forces agreed with Airbus on the experimental use of a drop system for this military transport aircraft. The equipped A400M can drop up to 20 tonnes of fire protection agent. According to the Ministry of the Interior, this corresponds approximately to the load of two Dash aircraft. The aircraft is intended to be used primarily as a preventive measure to secure threatened areas using protection lines.

Helicopters also remain an important element of the overall response. They can be deployed in difficult-to-access areas, carry water tanks, support response teams and provide situational awareness. The air force is also making infrastructure available: Bordeaux-Merignac air base has reactivated its refueling and supply service for water-bombing aircraft since 24 June. According to the Ministry of the Armed Forces, more than 240 movements of firefighting and support aircraft have already been recorded there.

Through the EU mechanism, two Canadair aircraft from Croatia, two Portuguese Air Tractor aircraft, as well as a heavy Black Hawk helicopter from the Czech Republic and another from Slovakia are set to be added to the response. European resources complement the French fleet, but do not replace the work of firefighters on the ground. Satellite maps from the Copernicus program are also intended to help operational command centers monitor the development of fires and prepare their measures.

The current situation shows that firefighting is organized on several levels: aircraft limit the spread, ground teams protect residents and infrastructure, while command staffs continuously reallocate available resources. The A400M does not replace proven water-bombing aircraft, but represents an additional element. Its actual effectiveness in ongoing operations will depend on the weather, the accessibility of disaster areas and the development of the fires.