The CGT calls for more resources in the face of the growing risk of forest fires

Paris – 13.07.2026: The CGT union of French fire and rescue services denounces a growing gap between the risk of forest fires and the available response resources. This position comes after a season that began unusually early and has placed heavy demands on emergency services in several regions for weeks. According to the Directorate General for Civil Security, more than 25,000 hectares had already been affected by fires by 10 July.

The CGT is primarily calling for more personnel in departmental fire and rescue services, modernization of vehicles and specialized equipment, and renewal of the water-bomber aircraft fleet. It also calls for stronger public capacities in forest maintenance, weather monitoring, and risk prevention. The union emphasizes that heat, drought, and extreme weather events trigger fires earlier in the year and make them harder to fight.

The demand is therefore not solely about the number of fire engines or aircraft. For the CGT, fire protection is a cross-cutting public mission: maintenance of forest areas, land-use planning near threatened zones, and staffing levels in state services must be coordinated with firefighters’ operational capabilities. This argument links the immediate pressure on responders to long-term adaptation to evolving climate risks.

For its part, the Ministry of the Interior highlights the strengthening measures decided since the major fires of 2022. The state supports the Capacity Pact for fire and rescue services with €150 million, out of a total volume of €250 million. Of the 1,083 planned vehicles, 541 had been delivered by early June; this number is expected to reach 747 by the end of 2026. In addition, a fourth civil security training and intervention regiment was created in 2025 in Libourne.

Aerial resources are also being gradually strengthened. France has ordered two new Canadair aircraft for nearly €200 million and is financing two additional aircraft with the European Union. According to the government, the civil security fleet is expected to reach 16 Canadairs by 2032. Deliveries, however, are not scheduled to begin until 2028. Current protection therefore still depends largely on existing resources, preventive pre-positioning, and cooperation with European partners.

At the institutional level, responsibilities remain shared: departmental services carry out most ground operations, while the state coordinates national aerial resources and reinforcements through the Directorate General for Civil Security. The national coordination center in Nimes-Garons is tasked with detecting risks at an early stage and moving resources to particularly threatened areas. According to civil security, nearly nine out of ten fire outbreaks are linked to human activities. Prevention therefore remains, alongside strengthened response resources, a central element of the state’s strategy.