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EU civil protection response to wildfires

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2026-08-31 19:23 UTC → 2026-08-31 22:37 UTC · added ~~removed~~

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has highlighted the effectiveness of the European Civil Protection Mechanism following an intense wildfire season that began as early as April. The mechanism was activated 10 times across eight countries, with 25 nations—including Ukraine for the first time—contributing firefighting teams. The Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) provided rapid assistance through aircraft deployment and satellite mapping. As the season progressed, von der Leyen warned that the EU must adapt to a new era of increasingly frequent and simultaneous emergencies. Speaking from the European Emergency Response Centre, she noted that climate change is making extreme weather events more volatile and unpredictable. Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib reported that approximately 300,000 people were evacuated this ~~season.~~ summer. Data indicates that over 600,000 hectares have burned across the EU, a figure more than double the long-term average of the previous two decades. In addition to the wildfires, the continent has experienced four heatwaves since May, further increasing the pressure on national firefighting services. Officials noted that climate change ~~is driving~~ continues to drive this volatility, as Europe remains the fastest-warming continent.

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