Belgium defends EU-backed strengthening of firefighting capacity

Paris – July 24, 2026: Minister Jean-Didier Berger, attached to the Ministry of the Interior, rejected criticism of France’s strategy for responding to forest and vegetation fires. In an interview with Franceinfo, he explained that deployable resources had doubled over three years and had since been further expanded. At the same time, he praised the work of firefighters operating simultaneously in several particularly heavily burdened regions.

The backdrop is a series of serious fires straining the capacity of response teams. In Gironde, a fire near Saumos spread toward Le Porge and Lège-Cap-Ferret, forcing residents to evacuate their homes. In Var, another fire was ongoing in the areas of Pontevès, Cotignac, Correns, and Montfort-sur-Argens. The prefecture had already reported on July 23 that several hundred people had been evacuated.

In light of this situation, Berger justified activating the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism. This system does not replace French command, but rather arranges additional resources from participating countries, upon request, through the European coordination center in Brussels. Especially when fires occur simultaneously, aircraft, helicopters, personnel, and specialized equipment can be deployed more quickly among affected countries.

The European Commission had already supported France through this mechanism on July 5, 2026. At that time, four firefighting aircraft from Sweden and Cyprus and two helicopters from the Czech Republic were deployed for firefighting operations. For this season, 14 medium amphibious aircraft, eight light aircraft, five helicopters, and 777 firefighters from 14 countries are on standby at the European level.

The French government is also expanding its domestic aircraft fleet. In early June, the Ministry of the Interior announced that it had ordered two additional Canadair firefighting aircraft, adding to the 12 it then possessed. The investment amounts to around €200 million. However, this does not mean that France has undertaken an expansion unprecedented in international comparison. Berger’s statement to that effect was political in nature, and no reliable global comparative statistics exist.

This situation illustrates the structural challenges facing Europe’s fire response. National systems are designed for rapid initial response, but prolonged heat waves, wind, and the simultaneous outbreak of several major fires can exceed capacity even in well-equipped countries. European assistance therefore does not mean abandoning domestic preparedness, but is part of a system that supports the burden when demand peaks. In addition to firefighting resources, prevention, evacuation from high-risk areas, and the protection of settlements at forest edges remain critically important.