EU Combats Summer Fire Risk
Europe Mobilizes 185 Firefighters for Spanish Regions Anticipating High Summer Fire Risk
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The European Union will send 185 firefighters from Bulgaria, Poland, and the Netherlands to three of Spain's most fire-prone regions this summer, according to El Periódico. The crews will deploy across Galicia, Catalonia, and Castilla-La Mancha between July and September — before fires start, not after. It is part of a record EU-wide mobilization of 777 firefighters across Southern Europe, announced in Brussels on June 2.
The deployment comes as EU climate forecasts warn of above-normal heat and below-normal rainfall across Spain this summer. The EU Commissioner for Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, put it plainly: wildfire season now "starts earlier, lasts longer, and hits harder," La Razón reported.
EU Switches From Reaction to Pre-Positioning Strategy
Until recently, the EU only sent firefighters after a country asked for help. That model has changed. The new approach puts crews on the ground before fires ignite, aiming to act within the critical first hour of a blaze. Europa Press reported that the Catalonia contingent will be in place from July 16 to August 15, with Galicia covered in July and Castilla-La Mancha in August.
A 24/7 Fire Analysis and Coordination Cell will also run from June 15 to September 18, staffed by 15 experts — including two Spaniards. Spain will also host two Canadair water-bomber planes with a 6,000-liter capacity each, plus additional aircraft from the EU standby fleet of 22 planes and 5 helicopters, according to El Correo Gallego.
2025 Megafire Season Made This Response Unavoidable
Last year was a breaking point. Over 1,000,000 hectares burned across the EU in 2025 — the worst on record. Spain and Portugal together accounted for 43% of that total. In Spain alone, 354,793 hectares burned, triple the 10-year average, and 8 people died in August fire outbreaks, Diario de Mallorca reported.
The EU responded with a €120.4 million recovery proposal for Spain, identifying it as the hardest-hit nation in 2025. On the regional level, Castilla-La Mancha raised its own firefighting budget to €126 million for 2026, an 8% increase, according to La Opinión de Murcia.
Climate Conditions Point to Another Dangerous Summer
Spain's weather agency AEMET warns that vegetation humidity is at record lows. Dry plants ignite easily. A persistent heat dome and a strong El Niño effect have pushed temperatures in northern Spain about 3°C above the historical average for 1991–2020, according to El Periódico de Extremadura.
Wildfires made up 38% of all insured losses from weather disasters in 2025 across Europe. The EU is now focused on protecting areas where forests meet towns and suburbs — the so-called wildland-urban interface — to avoid a repeat of last year's billions in property damage, La Provincia reported.
Experts Warn More Firefighters Alone Won't Fix the Problem
Not everyone is convinced that sending more crews is enough. Wildfire scientist Prof. Guillermo Rein calls the crisis a "failure of society," not just a failure of fire services. He argues that rural abandonment has left Spain's landscapes "systematically more flammable," with no one to manage the land year-round, according to El Día.
EU Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall agrees that resilience is "no longer optional." Analysts say that unless Europe tackles overgrown, abandoned countryside through grazing and sustainable farming, no number of firefighters will be enough. The 777-person deployment is being watched closely — its success or failure could determine whether the EU builds a permanent, standing fire corps, El Periódico Mediterráneo reported.
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