France’s wildfire crisis sparks debate over prevention and firefighting capacity

Paris – 26.07.2026: This summer’s severe wildfires have sparked a debate in France about forest resilience and the resources available for civil protection. Antoine d’Amécourt, president of the private forest owners’ association Fransylva, described the situation as exceptional. He is calling for a comprehensive strategy combining prevention, firefighting and reforestation.

The need for action is considerable. According to the Interior Ministry on 24 July, around 98,000 hectares have burned nationwide since the beginning of the year. Particularly severe fires raged in the southwestern French departments of Gironde and Landes, while emergency services were also deployed in Var. Authorities ordered large-scale evacuations. Due to persistent drought and shifting winds, the risk situation could worsen at short notice.

D’Amécourt represents an association of private forest owners. Fransylva had already warned on 10 July of an unusually early and intense start to the fire season. For owners, the consequences extend far beyond the loss of timber stocks: burned areas must be secured, damage assessed and reforestation planned over many years. This also raises the question of which tree species can cope with a warmer and drier climate.

The association’s first demand concerns preventing so-called megafires. According to the Environment Ministry, nine out of ten forest and vegetation fires are caused by human activity. Mandatory clearing and maintenance work around buildings, restrictions on fire-prone activities and clear information on local risks are therefore among the most important tools. The national wildfire forecast indicates the expected danger each day for the following two days.

The second point of contention is operational capacity. According to the Interior Ministry, France has twelve Canadair firefighting aircraft, eight Dash aircraft and three reconnaissance aircraft. These are supplemented by seasonally leased helicopters, light firefighting aircraft, European reinforcements and 51 interregional response columns with a total of 3,500 personnel. Nevertheless, d’Amécourt warns that available air and ground resources may not be able to keep pace with growing risks.

Closely linked to this is the water supply. Firefighting aircraft and helicopters need short routes to suitable water collection points, while ground crews depend on reliable supply infrastructure. The Interior Ministry lists 27 tanker and refueling bases; additional sites are due to be established in Niort, Rodez and Dole in 2026. In large-scale fires, logistics determines how many operations are possible each day.

In the long term, fire risk is also changing spatial planning. The Environment Ministry expects risk areas to expand northward and westward, along with longer fire seasons. The law of 10 July 2023 therefore strengthened the ability to limit new development in particularly vulnerable zones. Preventive landscape management, reforestation and civil protection are thus a shared responsibility of owners, municipalities and the state.