Forest fires in Europe are becoming increasingly widespread and prolonged. Last year alone, more than 1 million hectares of forest were destroyed in EU countries. As a result, ahead of the 2026 hot season, the European Union is stepping up the readiness of additional firefighting teams and aircraft. The scale of the deployment is a record in terms of the number of specialists and equipment involved.
The European Commission has announced that it will cover the costs of fire prevention measures and coordinate the work of the relevant services.
Initially, 777 emergency responders will be on standby in regions with the highest fire risk. These include countries such as Greece, Cyprus, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and France. To support firefighting efforts, the EU is additionally deploying 22 aircraft and 5 helicopters from its air fleet.
Real-time monitoring
These efforts will be supported by round-the-clock monitoring. Experts at the EU Emergency Response Coordination Centre are working 24/7. They will identify fire locations and oversee the deployment of operations.
To strengthen monitoring, additional specialists will be brought in to assist the Centre—including experts from EU member states on forest fires and representatives from scientific institutions.
Real-time control
These measures will be supported by round-the-clock monitoring. Experts from the EU Emergency Response Coordination Centre are working 24/7. They will identify fire locations and oversee the deployment of operations.
To enhance monitoring, the Center will bring in additional specialists—forest fire experts from EU member states and representatives from scientific institutions.
Proactive measures
The European Commission identifies forecasting as a key area in the fight against wildfires. To this end, the forest fire information system will utilize satellite data. Based on this data, experts will continuously update forecasts and conduct geospatial analysis.
Wildfires pose a particular threat to the Mediterranean region. Therefore, a new regional fire station will begin operations in Cyprus in 2026. It will house six firefighting aircraft and serve as a training center for civil protection specialists.
The European Commission noted that any EU country can request assistance from the "rescEU" fleet by activating the Civil Protection Mechanism.
EcoPolitic reported that in 2025, the wildfire season in Europe was the most destructive in recorded history. More than 1 million hectares of forest burned in the EU, and the fires started quite early—as early as March.
This trend was also observed this year, and not only in Europe. In the U.S., 725,000 hectares of forest have already burned, while Malaysia and Indonesia set dubious fire records.
