rescEU Aerial Firefighting Fleet Balloons to 28 Aircraft Ahead of Summer

The European Union has doubled its combined rescEU aerial firefighting fleet ahead of the 2023 wildfire season, with 24 fixed wing and 4 rotary wing aircraft from 10 EU member states.

“The fire risk in Europe and the rest of the world is expected to continue increasing due to climate change and this wildfire season will likely be increasingly characterised by massive fires that cost lives and burn areas that take longer to fully recover. In 2022 alone, wildfires burnt an area about the size of Montenegro, and the EU Civil Protection Mechanism was activated 10 times to mobilise cross-border firefighting assistance. To be better prepared to support Member States this wildfire season, the EU has doubled its firefighting air capacity.”

The composite fleet was announced at the 105th anniversary of the EU's Emergency Response Coordination Centre by Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenar?i?. The fleet will include 16 light planes from Sweden, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Germany, and Cyprus; 10 'medium scooping planes' from Spain, Italy, Greece, France, and Croatia; and 4 helicopters from Czechia, Greece, and France.

The aircraft assets will be joined by almost 450 firefighters from around Europe, who will be prepositioned in France, Greece, and Portugal for faster response.

The EU's preparations will be further improved by the new Wildfire Prevention Action Plan, which is aiming at streamlining administration, improving knowledge, and securing investments in wildfire prevention. New Peer Review Assessment Methodology will help member countries assess their capacity to respond to surprise wildfires and improve their best practices.

FMI: www.ec.europa.eu