BRUSSELS, BELGIUM / EuroWire / — The European Union has activated its largest wildfire response for the 2026 summer season, positioning firefighters, aircraft and emergency specialists across high-risk areas as southern Europe enters its peak fire period. The deployment includes 777 firefighters from 14 European countries assigned to Cyprus, Greece, Italy, France, Spain and Portugal. The European Commission announced the operation as a record level of participation under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism since the pre-positioning programme began in 2022.
The 2026 plan places crews closer to areas where national services may request additional support during severe wildfire conditions. The pre-positioned firefighters are scheduled to operate from July 1 to September 15, covering the main summer risk window. Participation has expanded sharply since the programme’s first year, when 236 firefighters from six countries were assigned to similar forward deployments. The wider 2026 arrangement also includes 15 ground firefighting teams, five ground firefighting teams with vehicles and one advisory and assessment team.
The airborne component includes 22 firefighting airplanes and five helicopters drawn from the EU fleet and placed on standby for cross-border assistance. The fleet is allocated across Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, France, Greece, Italy, North Macedonia, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden. Aircraft include medium amphibious airplanes, light airplanes and helicopters, with assignments structured to support countries facing pressure from active fires or elevated wildfire risk during the summer.
Aircraft and crews placed near risk zones
The operation will be coordinated through the Emergency Response Coordination Centre, which works around the clock to monitor risks and support deployments requested by national authorities. The centre will be reinforced from June through September by a wildfire support team of 22 experts from member states and participating countries. Their work will include the use of meteorological and scientific analysis to assess conditions and assist decision-making when assistance is requested.
EU monitoring systems will also support field operations. The European Forest Fire Information System will provide continuous wildfire risk forecasts, while Copernicus satellite services will deliver emergency mapping and geospatial analysis for authorities managing incidents on the ground. These systems are part of the bloc’s civil protection structure and are used to help governments track active fires, assess damage and coordinate resources during major emergencies.
Cyprus station adds regional capacity
The EU also plans to launch a regional firefighting station in Cyprus in 2026 to strengthen wildfire preparedness across Europe and the South Mediterranean region. The station is designed to accommodate the pre-positioning of six aircraft and host training and exercises for civil protection personnel. The facility is expected to support the exchange of operational knowledge among firefighters and emergency officials involved in cross-border response planning.
The deployment follows a record wildfire year in 2025, when more than 1 million hectares burned across the bloc and 7,783 wildfires were recorded in 25 EU countries, according to official European wildfire data. By late May 2026, the current year had recorded 88,945 hectares burned and 810 fires, below the same point in 2025 but above the long-term average for burned area and more than double the long-term average for the number of fires.