Sardinia to host 120 EU fire‑fighting experts for 2026 forest‑fire campaign

The Region of Sardinia has been chosen as a host territory for the European Union’s Prepositioned Ground Forest Firefighting Teams program for the 2026 fire‑season. About 120 fire‑fighting specialists from France, Austria and Estonia will arrive between 16 July and 31 August to support the regional civil‑protection system during the peak wildfire period.

The mission will be coordinated by the Sardinian Directorate General for Civil Protection together with Italy’s National Civil Protection Department and the European Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC). Team leaders will inspect key operational bases—including Is Olias, Sant’Andrea Frius, Monte Pisanu, and helicopter hubs at Fenosu and Alà dei Sardi—to integrate the European units with local forest‑fire services, the Forestas agency, the national fire brigade and volunteer civil‑protection groups. The initiative, part of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, aims to bolster response capacity in the most fire‑prone areas and improve interoperability between national and European teams.