France is progressively strengthening its forest fire fighting capabilities with the order of two new Canadair water bomber aircraft. This acquisition, which is to be officially announced on Thursday by Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez at the launch of the summer forest fire season in the Gard region, is part of commitments made by Emmanuel Macron after the devastating fires of summer 2022.
These two aircraft constitute the second phase of a program to renew the French fleet. An initial order was placed in 2024, with funding partially provided by the European Union. The first aircraft are expected in 2028, while this new order is not expected to be delivered until between 2032 and 2033. Ultimately, the Civil Security fleet should reach 16 Canadair water bombers.
The firefighters consider the resources insufficient.
Despite this announcement, firefighters believe that the efforts undertaken remain far below what is needed. The National Federation of Firefighters denounces the slow response to the accelerating pace of climate change and the increasing number of large-scale fires. It calls on the government to adopt a more ambitious strategy to sustainably strengthen air and ground intervention capabilities.
These concerns are shared by several members of parliament. A report published in 2025 already highlighted that the current fleet was no longer suited to the evolving risks. The aging of the equipment and the increasing number of major fires raise questions about the capacity of French resources to respond to increasingly extreme weather events.
A threat that extends across the entire territory
The year 2025 was particularly marked by fires, with nearly 15.000 fires recorded in France and approximately 30.000 hectares destroyed. Among them, 1.800 forest fires ravaged nearly 20.000 hectares, notably in the Aude region where the Corbières massif had been severely affected during the summer.
Faced with this situation, nearly fifty departments are now classified as being at risk of fire, including areas historically less exposed such as Côtes-d'Armor and Seine-et-Marne. At the European level, nearly 800 firefighters will be pre-positioned this summer in several at-risk countries, while France will also host several European modules specializing in fighting forest fires. Meanwhile, firefighters' unions continue to raise concerns about the funding of departmental fire and rescue services, which they consider to be under severe pressure.
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