EU Sends Black Hawk Helicopters to Wildfires in France

Bordeaux – 29 July 2026: The European Union has mobilized heavy Black Hawk helicopters from the Czech Republic and Slovakia to support French emergency services in combating the large-scale wildfires in the Bordeaux area. France activated the European Civil Protection Mechanism on 24 July. The additional aircraft are primarily intended to enable targeted water drops as firefighters battle the blaze in Gironde on several fronts.

According to the European Commission, the coordinated assistance now includes seven aircraft and four helicopters from the Czech Republic, Croatia, Germany, Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden and Turkey. Some of the aircraft are part of the joint European rescEU reserve, which is intended to supplement national capacities during the wildfire season.

In addition to the Czech and Slovak Black Hawks, two Croatian Canadair firefighting aircraft and two Portuguese Air Tractor aircraft have been announced. Other countries have provided capacities on the ground or in the air. The different types of aircraft and helicopters perform different tasks: which aircraft can be deployed depends, among other factors, on the terrain, available water collection points, smoke conditions and the course of the fire front.

According to the Commission, the European emergency response coordination center is in direct contact with the French authorities and continuously assesses what support is needed. A Commission liaison officer in Bordeaux is assisting coordination between the French incident command and foreign units. Operational command remains with the responsible authorities in France; the European forces are integrated into their operational planning and airspace picture.

In addition, the EU is using the Copernicus satellite service. Its maps can quickly identify affected areas, transport routes and endangered zones. They do not replace reconnaissance flights or ground observations, but they help authorities plan access routes, possible evacuations and the deployment of emergency personnel.

The European Civil Protection Mechanism is activated when a country requests additional assistance during a major crisis. For the 2026 wildfire season, the EU expanded its reserve and provided firefighting aircraft, helicopters and fire crews for operations in particularly vulnerable regions. The reason is that several European countries can be affected by fires simultaneously during hot and dry summers, quickly tying up national reserves.

Firefighting efforts in Gironde continue under French command. The Black Hawk helicopters from the Czech Republic and Slovakia are supplementing the international deployment of a total of eleven aircraft.