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EU aims for 300-strong firefighting force to fight wildfires across Europe

2026-02-07 17:20:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

EU aims for 300-strong firefighting force to fight wildfires across Europe

The European Union's climate commissioner announced the deployment of a force of 300 firefighters across the continent to fight the fires, after facing the worst year yet for fires in 2025, which a recent study said were intensified by climate change.

EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said the rapid response force would be made up of firefighters from across the 27-member bloc and would be deployed quickly where needed.

"It's a clear sign of solidarity and that we want to tackle this together," Hoekstra said. 

Hoekstra did not specify where the unit would be based and whether it would be activated in time for the summer fire season.

In September last year, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU would set up a regional firefighting centre based in Cyprus, which could also help Middle Eastern countries fight major fires.

A study published in August last year showed that climate change worsened summer fires in Southern Europe, with the likelihood of similar fire outbreaks increasing significantly.

Hundreds of fires that broke out in the eastern Mediterranean in June and July were fueled by temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, extremely dry conditions and strong winds.

The fires killed 20 people, forced 80,000 people to evacuate and burned more than 1 million hectares. 

The study by World Weather Attribution (WWA) showed that fires were 22% more intense in 2025, the worst recorded fire year in Europe./CNA 





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