As firefighters continue to battle major blazes in France, the European Union's crisis management chief is calling for more investment in prevention, forest management and emergency response.
Issued on: 30/07/2026 - 08:16
3 min Reading time
The EU must invest more in preventing wildfires and educating the public about fire risks as climate change makes blazes more frequent and severe, the bloc’s crisis management chief has said. Hadja Lahbib, the EU Commissioner for Crisis Management, has called for greater funding, improved forest management and stronger public awareness campaigns. “Climate change is accelerating. So our response must evolve just as quickly,” said Lahbib. “We must prepare for risks before disasters strike, and not simply react afterwards.” Her comments came as more than 2,200 firefighters and 20 aircraft remained mobilised against a vast wildfire in France’s south-western Gironde department on Wednesday. Although the fire did not spread overnight, authorities warned that temperatures of around 40C, dry conditions and strengthening afternoon winds could reignite smouldering areas and carry embers beyond existing firebreaks. “We strike quickly and strike hard at any new smoke emissions,” Gironde fire commander Matthieu Jomain said.
