Communication from the Commission on Integrated Wildfire Risk Management

The European Commission's 2026 communication on integrated wildfire risk management outlines a holistic strategy to address the escalating threat of wildfires, which saw over 1 million hectares burned in the EU in 2025. The strategy shifts from traditional firefighting toward an "integrated" approach covering the entire disaster cycle: prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.The communication identifies three main factors driving the surge in extreme "megafires": climate change (extreme heat and droughts), land management changes (abandoned rural areas leading to fuel build-up), and human behavior (responsible for up to 96% of ignitions through negligence or arson).