EU launches 300-strong rapid-response firefighting force ahead of 2026 wildfire season
The European Union has announced the creation of a 300-member rapid-response firefighting force to bolster its capacity to respond to increasingly severe wildfire seasons. EU officials stress that the force is a pilot initiative rather than a comprehensive solution.
Europe already has over 390,000 national and local firefighters, meaning the new unit does not significantly expand overall capacity. Instead, it aims to improve civil protection coordination and allow faster deployment of resources during peak wildfire months.
Wildfires in Europe are becoming more frequent, destructive, and widespread, particularly in southern member states, due to longer heatwaves, prolonged droughts, and earlier fire seasons. Current national services, even when supplemented by voluntary international aid, can struggle when several countries face simultaneous fires.
The new force will operate under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, coordinated by the Emergency Response Coordination Centre in Brussels. It will be pre-contracted, ready to deploy within hours, and support early interventions. Firefighters will work under the command of the host country, with strategic coordination and logistics managed at the EU level.
Previously, the EU pre-positioned up to 650 national firefighters in high-risk countries, but those deployments depended on availability at the time of crisis. The new force formalizes this approach, creating a dedicated pool with guaranteed readiness.
However, scale remains a concern. The 300 personnel may be split across multiple emergencies, reducing their impact, and air assets remain limited. The initiative does not address continent-wide fire seasons, when demand peaks simultaneously across countries.
EU officials say the pilot will help evaluate whether to expand centralized firefighting capacity or invest more in prevention and preparedness. For now, it represents an experiment in improving speed, coordination, and predictability in Europe’s wildfire response.
