EU expands wildfire preparedness for summer 2026

The European Commission has announced its largest-ever wildfire preparedness initiative for the summer of 2026 under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. A total of 777 firefighters from 14 European nations will be deployed to high-risk regions, including Cyprus, Greece, Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal. Cyprus will receive two additional light firefighting aircraft, supplementing four already funded by other EU instruments. Furthermore, a regional EU firefighting hub is scheduled to open in Cyprus later this year, capable of housing six aircraft and serving as a training and coordination center for the Mediterranean region. The broader EU fleet on standby includes 22 firefighting aircraft and five helicopters. Additional resources are assigned to North Macedonia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Romania. Operations are coordinated via the EU Emergency Response Coordination Centre, utilizing data from the Copernicus satellite program and the European Forest Fire Information System.