The heatwave affecting Europe increases the risk of fires. Several fires are affecting the continent, in the face of the risk the EU has an emergency mechanism to provide assistance on the ground.
There heat wave is hitting Europe and with it the danger of seeing forest fires is increasing. Fires are affecting the south of the continent in Croatia, Italy, Greece and neighboring countries.
Faced with this danger, the European Union has an emergency tool called the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. This mechanism, created in 2001is structured around three axes. Through its Member States, the Union relies on a fleet of 28 water bombers and 4 helicopters.
The EU has released an envelope of 600 million euros to acquire 12 water bomber aircraft which will be available by the end of the decade. These aircraft will be distributed among six Member States.
The Union can also intervene on the ground.”More than 500 firefighters (are pre-positioned) in four EU Member States in southern Europe. These are France, Portugal, but also Spain and Greece. They can be called upon to assist local first responders if the need arises.“, explains Balazs Ujvari, spokesperson for the European Commission.
Finally, Member States can also rely on satellite images from the system Copernicusthe European Earth observation programme. This tool has been activated 25 times in 2023 for forest fires on the planet.
To obtain this assistance, national authorities can contact 24/7 the Emergency Response Coordination Center based in Brussels. Countries transmit their requests and needs which are then sent back to the different capitals.
“So we try to act as quickly as possible, which can take a few hours, sometimes a little longer, sometimes even a few minutes.“, emphasizes Balazs Ujvari.
Prevention rather than suffering
While fire prevention is the responsibility of the Member States, the EU has put in place an action plan in 2022. This involves improving administrative capacities and knowledge, and increasing investments in forest fire anticipation.
The EU is also establishing a method to evaluate national prevention systems and facilitate the exchange of good practices between the 27.
The flames destroyed in 2022 almost 900,000 hectares of land in the EU according to a report published by the Commission’s Joint Research Centre. However, 2023 was a record year, with the largest fire in Europe, one of the worst forest fire seasons ever recorded in the Union.
The EU Civil Protection Mechanism is not limited to the borders of the Member States either.
“We are in solidarity with everyone. So everyone can ask for help.“, insists Balazs Ujvari. The Union intervened last year in Chile, Canada and Tunisia. Last month Albania has asked for EU help.
The Civil Protection Mechanism was activated 10 times last year. By mid-summer, the mechanism had already been called upon five times.
