As the EU continues to mobilise firefighting support across Europe during an intense wildfire season, Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, will be visiting wildfire-affected areas in Belgium and Germany tomorrow.
In the Hautes Fagnes and around Monschau, she will meet local and national authorities, first responders, visit communities affected by the fires, and see first-hand the impact of the fires and response on the ground.
Belgium requested European assistance through the EU civil protection mechanism on 15 August. The European Commission coordinated the deployment of 2 firefighting planes from Sweden, 6 helicopters from the Netherlands, Germany, and Norway, specialised firefighting teams from the Netherlands and Spain, and provided emergency satellite mapping.
Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, said:
‘The devastation in the Hautes Fagnes is a stark reminder that wildfire risk is changing across Europe. Our firefighters and emergency services are on the front line, working tirelessly to protect communities. When Belgium called for help, Europe stepped up sending teams and aircraft from across the continent to fight the fires and stand with those affected.’
Background
The 2026 wildfire season is already exceptionally severe. By 12 August, the area burned was already more than twice the average area burned for that time of year. In response, the civil protection mechanism has been activated 10 times by affected countries. The Commission has coordinated and co-financed the deployments of
- more than 700 firefighters,
- over 200 vehicles, and
- 38 aircraft.
Copernicus satellites have produced 391 emergency maps to help authorities track and respond to wildfires, with mapping operations currently supporting Italy, Montenegro, Germany, Belgium, Albania, Serbia and Croatia.
When an emergency hits, any country can request assistance via the EU civil protection mechanism. An activation of the Mechanism triggers the emergency response coordination centre to mobilise assistance from European countries. Operating 24/7, the Centre ensures rapid deployment of emergency support and acts as a coordination hub between all EU Member States, 10 additional participating states, the affected country, and civil protection experts.
