Europe’s Wildfires Expose Adaptation Gaps

Severe heat, drought and wildfires are testing Europe’s emergency systems, infrastructure and ability to protect communities, agriculture and ecosystems.

France and Spain have faced fires beyond available firefighting capacity, while the EU is expanding coordinated resources through RescEU and planning a permanent firefighting fleet. The broader response increasingly includes forest and fuel management, resilient infrastructure, public education, cross-border planning and technologies for detection, suppression and risk transfer.