The European Union is stepping up its response to the wildfire affecting the Pyrénées-Orientales. Four water-bombing aircraft are arriving from Cyprus and Sweden to assist French firefighters near Trévillach, in the Perpignan area.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, announced this deployment on Monday 6 July. She stated on X that these aircraft are part of the rescEU fleet, the European mechanism designed to support countries affected by major disasters.
Fire near Perpignan: over 12,000 people evacuated
The fire has burned across approximately 4,700 hectares in the Pyrénées-Orientales, according to initial reports released on Monday. The authorities have evacuated more than 15,000 residents from several towns near the affected area, the most recent being Vinça. Initial reports also indicate that 16 people have sustained minor injuries, including four firefighters.
Emergency services are concentrating their efforts around Trévillach. The authorities have mobilised several hundred firefighters, specialist vehicles, Canadair aircraft, water-bombing helicopters and Dash aircraft. The fire remains under close watch due to the wind, drought and high temperatures.
Perpignan and the Pyrénées-Orientales: a very high risk of fire
Météo-France has issued a warning of a high to very high risk of forest fires in the south of the country. The meteorological service explains that the high temperatures and dry ground conditions are creating an exceptional situation.
Météo-France’s Forest Weather Service classifies the red alert as a “very high risk”. This level means that weather conditions are highly conducive to the outbreak and spread of forest and vegetation fires.
RescEU: the European mechanism already deployed in Gironde
France activated the European Civil Protection Mechanism on 5 July. This mechanism enables a Member State to quickly request resources from its European partners when a crisis exceeds its local or national capabilities.
France had previously used this mechanism during the massive wildfires in Gironde in August 2022. At that time, seven European countries sent more than 350 firefighters, 101 vehicles and six water-bombing aircraft to assist the French emergency services.
Wildfires in Europe: Portugal also requests EU assistance
France is not the only country calling on European solidarity. Portugal activated the European Civil Protection Mechanism on 3 July in response to a high risk of wildfires. Spain sent 118 firefighters and 45 vehicles, whilst three rescEU aircraft from Italy and Spain joined the operations.
Every summer, the European Union bolsters its fire-fighting fleet. In 2024, it comprised 24 aircraft and 4 helicopters stationed across 10 Member States. This system is designed to provide a rapid response when multiple wildfires strike different European countries simultaneously.