EU offers help as southern France battles deadly wildfires

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🗞️ Driving the news: Southern France is facing one of its worst wildfires in recent history, with over 16,000 hectares in the Aude region burned — an area larger than Paris
• The blaze, which began near La Ribaute on Tuesday, has left one person dead, 13 injured, and three missing
• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged EU support, offering to mobilise rescEU disaster response resources to assist France’s 2,000-strong firefighting force

🔭 The context: Wildfires in southern Europe have become increasingly severe in recent years, driven by prolonged heatwaves, drought, and shifting climate patterns
• France’s Interior Minister noted this fire has destroyed more land than any since 1949
• The rescEU program, launched in 2019, coordinates pooled firefighting aircraft, equipment, and personnel across EU member states to strengthen cross-border disaster response

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The Aude wildfire underscores the accelerating climate crisis, where extreme heat and drought are making Mediterranean regions more vulnerable to megafires
• Large-scale blazes not only destroy biodiversity and carbon sinks but also release massive amounts of CO₂, undermining climate mitigation goals
• Scaling up coordinated EU disaster preparedness is essential as climate-driven disasters intensify across borders

⏭️ What's next: French emergency services are expected to remain on high alert for the coming days, with containment efforts challenged by high winds and dry conditions
• The EU’s rescEU assets could be deployed within hours if requested
• In parallel, policymakers are likely to revisit fire prevention strategies, land management policies, and climate resilience funding ahead of the autumn wildfire season in southern Europe

💬 One quote: “Europe stands with France as the worst wildfires in its recent history rage in Aude. We are ready to mobilise rescEU resources to support efforts to bring the fires under control.” — Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President

📈 One stat: 16,000 hectares — the area already burned, surpassing the scale of any French wildfire in over 75 years.

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