French volunteer firefighters urge employers to release volunteers amid early wildfire season

France faces an unusually early wildfire season, with fires reported in the South, Southwest, Brittany and the Centre while the North remains relatively spared. Lieutenant‑Colonel Jean‑Paul Bosland, president of the national federation of volunteer firefighters, warned that the operational pressure on civil security services is "enormous" and that the risk of service saturation is growing.

Volunteer firefighters, who make up about 80 % of the 200,000‑strong fire service, are asking public and private employers to free them from their regular jobs so they can serve as full‑time reinforcements. Bosland cited a pilot scheme offering companies €10,000 per volunteer recruited, conditional on release for duties, and called for broader state support and insurer involvement to protect against escalating damages.