EU deploys largest-ever wildfire response for summer 2026

The European Union will deploy its largest coordinated wildfire response this summer as rising temperatures and longer fire seasons increase risks across the continent, the European Commission announced Tuesday.

Under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, 777 firefighters from 14 countries will be stationed in high-risk areas, including the Greek Cypriot Administration, Greece, Italy, France, Spain and Portugal. The bloc will also keep 22 firefighting aircraft and five helicopters on standby for rapid deployment.

The plan was unveiled at the EU Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) in Brussels, where European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib said wildfires have become "a new reality" for Europe, occurring earlier in the year, lasting longer and spreading farther north.

"Last summer, over one million hectares burned across Europe, the size of Cyprus. Almost every Member State was affected, as far north as Sweden," she told a news conference.

The Commission said the 2026 package is the largest wildfire preparedness operation ever organized at EU level, reflecting what officials described as a long-term rise in climate-related fire risks.

The ERCC will coordinate deployments in real time, supported by satellite monitoring from the Copernicus Earth observation system and risk assessments from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).

As part of the initiative, the EU will establish a new regional firefighting hub in the Greek Cypriot Administration to host aircraft, training activities and coordination efforts, aiming to strengthen cooperation across the EU and the wider Mediterranean region.