EU assistance has been mobilised to support firefighting efforts in Portugal and France after both countries requested help to tackle multiple wildfires burning simultaneously.
France activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism on 5 July, and four rescEU firefighting aeroplanes from Sweden and Cyprus were expected to arrive in affected areas on Monday, the European Commission announced.
Portugal requested support on 3 July, with 118 firefighters and 45 vehicles from Spain arriving “a few hours” later.
Three rescEU firefighting aircraft from Italy and Spain were also deployed.
Commissioner for equality, preparedness and crisis management Hadja Lahbib said Portugal and France were facing an “extreme wildfire threat” during a “severe heatwave”, and confirmed aircraft, ground teams and vehicles from Sweden, Cyprus, Italy and Spain were supporting emergency crews.
How the EU wildfire support works
Countries hit by wildfires can request operational help through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, while rescEU provides a shared reserve of emergency assets, including aircraft, the Commission said.
A total of 777 firefighters from 14 European countries are already — or will soon be — pre-positioned in high-risk areas across Cyprus, Greece, Italy, France, Spain and Portugal, new figures from the European Commission show.
It also said 22 firefighting aeroplanes and five helicopters from the EU fleet were ready to support countries under pressure.
The Commission added that it published a new integrated approach to wildfire risk management in March 2026, setting out guidance on preventing, preparing for, responding to and recovering from wildfires.
