World
Wildfire season is upon us: Here's what the EU is putting in place
Following a devastating summer of fires across Europe last year, the EU has upped its resources to prevent widespread damage in 2024.
With summer just around the corner, we’re all dreaming of sunshine and swimming in the sea – but with the hot weather comes the risk of wildfires.
That’s where the European Union comes in. From June, they’re putting in place measures to bolster firefighting efforts in order to better protect communities across Europe – and the surrounding environment.
Following devastating fires in 2023 – recorded as some of the very worst this century – the EU has put together a team of 556 firefighters from 12 countries.
They’ll be strategically placed across key locations in Europe this summer, including in high risk areas like France, Greece, Portugal and Spain.
Local fire brigades can find themselves overwhelmed when the scale of a wildfire outsizes the response capabilities of a country.
The EU are also introducing a dedicated rescue fleet of firefighting aircraft, which will consist of 28 aeroplanes and 4 helicopters stationed in 10 of the bloc’s Member States.
There’s also €600 million in extra EU funds which will go towards buying 12 further firefighting planes in the future, which will be distributed among six Member States – as well as several helicopters.
Here’s what four of the countries involved are planning to do this summer to save lives, livelihoods and protect the environment when wildfire season arrives.
France
Météo-France recently announced they believe the summer of 2024 will likely be hotter than usual – especially in the Mediterranean region.
Last year, 22,400 hectares of forests were lost to wildfires. Using that tragic example, France has put in place some 3,600 firefighters and 600 vehicles, whose role will be to strengthen the resources of the Departmental Fire and Rescue Service – known as the SDIS.
The resources come from regions typically less affected by forest fires and will bolster the work done by departments more likely to experience them.
France also has twelve Canadair CL-415s planes, which can each carry more than 6,000 litres of water. Two of them are positioned in Ajaccio in Corsica and the other ten in Nîmes.
They’ll be supported by a further eight Dash planes – seven based in Nîmes and another in Bordeaux. They can each carry 10,000 litres of water.
As of 1 June, they’ll be on active service as and when they are needed alongside a number of other aircraft with firefighting capabilities.
Portugal
2023 was an intense year of wildfires for Portugal and, as such, the country’s rural firefighting system will be reinforced from 1 June for the second time this year.
Ahead of the summer season, there will be some 12,096 operational units and 70 aircraft available for use.
Many of the people involved in the Special Rural Fire Fighting Device (DECIR) are volunteer firefighters. Others will be drawn from the Special Civil Protection Force, military personnel from the National Republican Guard and also from the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests.
Unlike in France, Portugal will not be using Canadair planes, apparently due to difficulties in the market. That came as a surprise to the crews who had been carrying out this service for over 20 years.
With the weather heating up from July, resources are set to be reinforced again from the first of the month until 30 September – the period considered as the most critical phase of fires.
In that three month stretch, 14,155 operational personnel from 3,162 teams will be on standby this year, as well as 3,173 vehicles – which is a slight increase compared to 2023.
Spain
2023 saw hundreds of thousands of hectares of woodland destroyed in Spain, as well as more than 3,000 people forced to evacuate the Canary Island of Tenerife in the summer season.
From 1 June, the Spanish state forest fire campaign is in place. Taking in consideration the tragedies of last year, authorities have introduced a more robust plan to more effectively fight any potential forest fires occurring in different areas of the country.
Last month, at a meeting of the State Coordination and Direction Committee (CECOD) in Spain, politicians came together to finalise plans.
It includes the Forest Fire Reinforcement Brigades (BRIF) and a fleet of high-capacity seaplanes, which is operated by the 43 Group of the Air and Space Army.
The Military Emergency Unit of the Ministry of Defence and the Civil Guard and National Police will be able to support devices put in place by the country’s various autonomous communities.
Catalonia has historically been one of the worst affected regions in Spain.
The acting Minister of the Interior, Joan Ignasi Elena, highlighted that it “faces an extremely complex campaign, which is not temporary and which has severe consequences.”
As a result, 240 new firefighters have been recruited to join hundreds of others.
The Corps of Rural Agents has gone from having about 500 troops to a total of 620 in the face of the increased forest fire campaign.
There will also be 22 aircraft including planes and helicopters, with 4 amphibious craft located in Sabadell and Empuriabrava, supported by 821 cars and vans.
Less than halfway through the year, 2024 has been recorded as one of the driest ever in Catalonia in decades.
Between 1 January and 15 May 15 this year, firefighters have already battled 1,750 vegetation fires. That figure is slightly down on last year, though, thanks to heavy April rains.
Despite this, authorities have installed 5 levels to their climate emergency plan – meaning that they are as prepared as possible to fight any potential blazes ahead.
Italy
“Good prevention, with the full involvement of municipalities and citizens, can serve to save thousands of hectares of vegetation,” Nello Musumeci, the Minister for Civil Protection in Italy said at a meeting earlier this spring.
Called to address this summer’s forest fire fighting campaign, the meeting was attended by representatives of Italy’s regions (ANCI), the Fire Brigade, the Armed Forces, as well as the Ministries of the Interior, Defence, Environment, Agriculture and Economy.
Italy is currently facing temperatures well above the usual, which have a knock on effect on the availability of water.
The south of the country and the islands are particularly likely to be affected, but all administrations in Italy have prepared contingencies for both forest fires and those in built up areas.
As well as this, Musumeci has made sure to put in place a widespread campaign of raising awareness among populations via the media.
While many fires are due to climate change, he has a further plan.
“I will suggest the opportunity for greater surveillance in rural areas to discourage arsonists and criminals in their senseless purposes,” Musumeci suggests, “let’s remember that the vast majority of fires are caused by humans, through fault or malice.”
World
Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm sues his parents, accuses them of misusing his money
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm has sued his parents for millions of dollars, accusing them of siphoning large amounts of his money into financial accounts they managed for him and then using some of the cash to pay their own expenses.
Bohm’s lawsuit, filed Wednesday in a Philadelphia court, comes after he began to review his personal and financial affairs in recent months, and said that his parents refused to give him access to the accounts or provide him with the information he sought about them.
They sought to “freeze” him out of four accounts — established as limited liability companies — and he now believes they “converted a sizeable amount” of his money from those accounts “to their own use,” the lawsuit said.
By the time he sought the information, his parents had already transferred millions of dollars from his personal accounts to the accounts they controlled, the lawsuit said.
Bohm’s parents, Daniel and Lisa Bohm, denied doing anything wrong and, through their lawyer, said they are “deeply saddened by the allegations” and will aggressively defend themselves. Alec Bohm has had full access to the accounts and his parents are paying his expenses on their personal credit cards, their lawyer, Robert Eckard, said in a statement.
“Mr. and Mrs. Bohm love their son very much and have always acted in his best interests, both personally and professionally, and still do so to this day,” Eckard said.
After Thursday’s 2026 season opening game, Bohm declined comment to reporters, saying “I’m not going to address any personal matters right now.”
Both parties say the first of the accounts was opened in 2019. His parents told him that they assigned themselves a 10% stake, strictly for administration purposes, and that Bohm was the “true” owner of all of the LLC’s assets, Bohm’s lawsuit said.
The accounts had various purposes, such as investing in securities or buying real estate. Bohm’s lawsuit also said they used money from The Alec Bohm Foundation to pay their expenses.
Bohm’s lawsuit asks his parents to pay at least $3 million in damages, hand over control of the accounts and hire an accountant to track every dollar they transferred from Bohm’s personal accounts to the accounts they controlled.
Bohm, 29, has a $10.2 million contract with the Phillies for the 2026 baseball season. The lawsuit said his parents live in a recreational vehicle and travel the country.
World
Rubio meets G7 ministers in France as US leads on Iran — allies under fire for tepid response
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in France on Friday to attend the G7 foreign ministers meeting where he will deliver a clear message on U.S. priorities for the ongoing war with Iran.
In the days leading up to the meeting, other members have taken markedly different approaches to the war. Nearly all of Washington’s partners — Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan — have reacted cautiously to the U.S.-Israeli military campaign and declined to participate in offensive operations, even as they condemn Iranian actions.
Before departing on Thursday, Rubio signaled a defiant approach to the talks: “I don’t work for France or Germany or Japan… the people I’m interested in making happy are the people of the United States. I work for them,” he said in a video posted on X.
The divergence has drawn frustration from President Donald Trump, who has pressed allies to contribute more, particularly in securing key maritime routes such as the Strait of Hormuz. While some countries have signaled a willingness to support defensive or maritime security efforts, they have stopped short of joining direct military strikes.
TRUMP PRESSES NATO PARTNERS ON SUPPORT AS HEGSETH BLASTS HESITATION
“The U.S. is constantly asked to help in wars and we have. But when we had a need, it didn’t get positive responses from NATO. A couple leaders said that Iran was not Europe’s war. Well, Ukraine isn’t our war, yet we’ve contributed more to that fight than anyone,” Rubio added.
“The Strait of Hormuz could be open tomorrow if Iran stops threatening global shipping, which is an outrage and a violation of international law. For all these countries that care about international law, they should be doing something about it,” he said before boarding his plane to France.
The remarks set the tone for a summit already marked by growing friction between Washington and some of its closest allies over how to handle the Iran conflict. Rubio has framed the stakes in stark terms. “Iran has been at war with the United States for 47 years… Iran has been killing Americans and attacking Americans across this planet,” he said during a White House cabinet meeting, adding that allowing Tehran to obtain nuclear weapons would be “an unacceptable risk for the world.”
But even before Rubio arrived at the meeting, European officials were signaling a markedly different approach.
“We need to exit from the war, not escalate this further, because the consequences for everybody around the world are quite severe,” Vice President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas said during a briefing on the sidelines of the G7 on Thursday.
JACK KEANE CALLS OUT NATO’S WEAKNESS AS SHIPPING CRISIS GRIPS STRAIT OF HORMUZ
(L/R, clockwise) French President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, US Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni meet during the Group of Seven (G7) Summit at the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada on June 17, 2025 (LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images)
“It can only be a diplomatic solution… sit down and negotiate to have a way out,” she added.
The contrast between Rubio’s framing and Kallas’s message captures the core tension shaping the meeting.
U.S. officials say Rubio is heading into the talks with a broader agenda that goes beyond Iran.
According to a State Department spokesperson, who spoke to Fox News Digital on background, Rubio will use the meeting to “advance key U.S. interests” and push discussions on the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as “international burden sharing” and the overall effectiveness of the G7.
The U.S. is also expected to emphasize maritime security, including freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, while urging allies to take on a greater share of responsibilities in conflict zones and international organizations, the spokesperson said.
RUBIO, RATCLIFFE TO DELIVER CLASSIFIED IRAN BRIEFING TO ‘GANG OF EIGHT’ AHEAD OF TRUMP’S STATE OF THE UNION
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to reporters before boarding a plane as he is headed to France where he will take part in the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting, at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, U.S., March 26, 2026. (Brendan Smialowski/Pool via Reuters)
European officials have instead emphasized the broader risks of the conflict.
France’s foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, said discussions at the G7 would build on a recent joint statement condemning Iran’s actions while also addressing maritime security concerns.
He said the “discussions will provide an opportunity to revisit positions already agreed at the G7 level… including the unjustifiable attacks carried out by Iran against Gulf countries… which we condemned in the strongest possible terms.”
Barrot added that ministers would also focus on securing global shipping routes.
A satellite image shows the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime passage connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, vital for global energy supply. (Amanda Macias/Fox News Digital)
“We will also have the opportunity to address maritime security and freedom of navigation… including an international mission… to ensure the smooth flow of maritime traffic in a strictly defensive posture, thereby helping to ease pressure on energy prices,” he said.
Kallas echoed that global framing. “All the countries in the world are one way or another affected by this war… it is in the interest of everybody that this war stops,” she said.
IRAN SIGNALS NUCLEAR PROGRESS IN GENEVA AS TRUMP CALLS FOR FULL DISMANTLEMENT
Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy speaks to the press during EU Summit in Brussels, Belgium on Dec. 19, 2024. (Photo by Nicolas Landemard/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Her remarks also pointed to the interconnected nature of the crisis. “Russia is helping Iran with intelligence… and also supporting Iran now with drones,” she said, linking the Iran conflict to the war in Ukraine.
That uncertainty is already affecting the structure of the summit, with officials dropping plans for a unified final communiqué to avoid exposing divisions, Reuters reported.
Analysts say those differences reflect deeper structural tensions in the alliance. “Europe has criticized Donald Trump’s ‘maximum pressure’ strategy towards Iran while pursuing a failed diplomatic approach that has enabled the regime to expand its terrorist networks and edge closer to nuclear threshold status,” Barak Seener, senior research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital.
“This reflects a lack of European capability to project power in the region, particularly in safeguarding the Strait of Hormuz.”
FILE PHOTO: Cargo ships in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026. (REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo/File Photo)
Seener added that years of reliance on Washington have left Europe increasingly exposed as the U.S. shifts its strategic priorities. “Years of underinvestment in defense and reliance on the United States have created a dependency that Washington increasingly views as a betrayal of the peace it has guaranteed Europe since the Second World War,” he said.
“With the U.S. placing greater value on its relationship with Israel than NATO, the result may be further erosion of the alliance, reduced support for Ukraine and rising economic pressure on Europe.”
He warned that the immediate test will come at the G7 itself. “Divisions over how to respond to Iran and to any U.S. request for support are likely to expose a deeper transatlantic split,” Seener said.
“Operation Epic Fury has showcased President Trump’s ability to assemble a coalition of allies to eliminate a common threat — in this case the Iranian regime — and stabilize international trade,” Jacob Olidort, chief research officer and director of American security at the America First Policy Institute, told Fox News Digital.
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A satellite view shows the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy chokepoint connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, on Oct. 2, 2024. (Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data via Getty Images)
“The failure of Western Europe to participate in securing the Strait of Hormuz is particularly egregious because those countries depend on it more than we do,” he added.
“At the same time, the historic successes of Operation Epic Fury have awakened a new confidence in our Middle East partners to eradicate the threats from the Iranian regime and to work together to shape a more peaceful and prosperous region.”
World
Rubio joins crucial G7 talks as Iran war set to dominate second day
Published on
On today’s show:
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Top story: G7 Summit debrief with Méabh Mc Mahon and Maia de la Baume.
Explainer by Jakub Janas: What’s the point of the G7 meeting?
Iran war update with Méabh Mc Mahon and Babak Kamiar.
Interview with Ghassan Salamé, Lebanese Culture Minister.
Interview with Valérie Hayer, Member of the European Parliament (Renew Europe, France).
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