Wildfires Sweep Across Europe; France Allocates €12 Million For Reconstruction
France has allocated €12 million to rebuild areas affected by wildfires in the southwest of the country, as fires continue to impact several regions across Europe amid extreme conditions.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced that €10 million would be provided to the Gironde department and €2 million to Landes. He estimated that the overall cost of government support measures could exceed €100 million, including exemptions from social security contributions and property tax for affected businesses for three months.
The European Union has also offered assistance to Belgium and Spain through its civil protection mechanism as wildfires persist across the continent.
In Belgium, two firefighting aircraft from the EU’s rescEU fleet, deployed from Sweden, alongside helicopters from Netherlands, Norway, and Germany, are supporting efforts against a wildfire in the Hautes Fagnes, where over 3,000 hectares have burned.
In Spain, 104 ground firefighters with 36 vehicles from France have come to aid Spanish firefighters in the Aragón region, where nearly 16,000 hectares have already been destroyed.
The EU’s Copernicus Emergency Management Service has also been activated for wildfires in Belgium, Spain, Greece, Germany, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, France, and Italy, providing rapid mapping to assist authorities in assessing affected areas and organizing responses.
EU Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib stated, “No country should face wildfires alone. Through our civil protection mechanism, Europe is moving aircraft, helicopters, and firefighters quickly to where they are needed most."
The European Commission noted that the 2026 wildfire season is already "exceptionally severe," with the area burned by the end of July being 2.5 times the usual level across Europe.
