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.
ADVERTISEMENTWith 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.
ADVERTISEMENTIt 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.
ADVERTISEMENTThe 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.
ADVERTISEMENTItaly
“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.
ADVERTISEMENTWhile 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.”
Trump warns Iran it ‘can’t blackmail’ US with Hormuz closure
Fox News reports on heightened tensions in the Middle East as Iran’s Revolutionary Guard reaffirms strict control over the Strait of Hormuz and fires on passing ships. President Donald Trump, speaking from the Oval Office, states the US naval blockade will remain in full force. White House correspondent Alex Hogan provides updates on the escalating diplomatic and military standoff.
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Hundreds of commercial tankers are stranded on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz after Iran shut the critical chokepoint on April 18, halting traffic and leaving crews trapped amid reports of gunfire and “traumatic experiences” on board.
The Strait of Hormuz is considered an international waterway under international law, through which ships have the right of transit passage, according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz, making it a critical chokepoint for global energy markets, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said Iranian gunboats opened fire on a tanker the same day, while a projectile struck a container vessel, damaging cargo.
STARMER AND MACRON ACCUSED OF ‘PLAYING AT BEING RELEVANT’ WITH STRAIT OF HORMUZ PLAN
U.S. Central Command said Tuesday that “U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers are among the assets executing a blockade mission impacting Iranian ports.” (CENTCOM)
Audio released by maritime monitoring group TankerTrackers appears to capture the moment a vessel and its crew came under fire while approaching the strait, including a distress call from a crew member.
“Sepah Navy! Motor tanker Sanmar Herald! You gave me clearance to go… you are firing now. Let me turn back!” the crew member can be heard saying in the recording, according to TankerTrackers.
Iranian state media confirmed that shots were fired near vessels to force them to turn back, while the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India said the foreign secretary was deeply concerned.
Hapag-Lloyd, the world’s fifth-largest container shipping line, told Fox News Digital that it had activated a crisis team as its crews remain stuck on board vessels in the region.
“We have been working from Friday afternoon until today with the entire crisis team to bring the vessels out — in vain, unfortunately,” said Nils Haupt, senior director of group communications at Hapag-Lloyd AG.
“These events can easily lead to traumatic experiences. There is also a significant risk from sea mines, which has made insuring vessels for passage through the Strait nearly impossible.”
LISA DAFTARI: HORMUZ WHIPLASH PROVES TEHRAN CAN’T HONOR ANY DEAL IT SIGNS
“The crews are well, but they are becoming increasingly impatient and frustrated. It is very unfortunate that we could not leave today,” he added. “Many ships are still stuck in the Persian Gulf.”
“Our six ships are anchored near the port of Dubai, and all crews hope for an improvement in the situation,” Haupt said.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on April 18 that the strait would remain closed until the U.S. lifts its blockade on Iranian ports, warning ships not to move from anchorage or risk being treated as “enemy” collaborators.
Iran has previously argued that restrictions on its oil exports and shipping amount to “economic warfare,” framing actions in the Strait of Hormuz as a response to foreign pressure on its economy, according to statements from Iranian officials and state media in past incidents.
“Approaching the Strait of Hormuz will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and any violating vessel will be targeted,” the IRGC said in a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim News Agency.
TRUMP ORDERS A BLOCKADE IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ AS TENSIONS WITH IRAN SOAR
Fishing boats dot the sea as cargo ships, in the background, sail through the Arabian Gulf toward the Strait of Hormuz off the United Arab Emirates, Friday, March 27, 2026. (AP Photo)
The United States imposed the blockade on Iranian ports to pressure Tehran to reopen the strait, with U.S. Central Command saying the measures are being enforced “impartially against all vessels.”
Hapag-Lloyd said its vessels have been stuck for weeks following the initial closure after the outbreak of war with Iran on Feb. 28.
“For us, it is critical that our vessels can pass through the strait soon,” Haupt said.
“We offer all crew members unlimited data so they can video call loved ones and access entertainment. Crews are strong, but after weeks on board there is growing monotony and frustration.”
“One crew experienced a fire on board from bomb fragments. Others have seen missiles or drones near their vessels,” he added.
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“They are resilient, but each additional day makes the situation more difficult, more monotonous, and more stressful.”
President Donald Trump said Iran had agreed not to close the strait again but after the closure, Trump called the situation “blackmail” and said the U.S. would not back down.
Shops and schools shut in northern Israel as residents protested a 10-day ceasefire with Lebanon that took effect on April 16, saying “nothing was achieved”. Israeli officials say operations may continue, with forces still deployed inside southern Lebanon.
Published On 19 Apr 2026
World
Pope Leo says remarks about world being ‘ravaged by a handful of tyrants’ were not aimed at Trump: report
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Pope Leo XIV said Saturday that remarks he made this week in which he said the “world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants” were not directed at President Donald Trump, a report said.
The pope, speaking onboard a flight to Angola during his 10-day tour of Africa, said reporting about his comments “has not been accurate in all its aspects” and his speech “was prepared two weeks ago, well before the president ever commented on myself and on the message of peace that I am promoting,” according to Reuters.
The news outlet cited the pope as saying his comments were not aimed at Trump.
“As it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate the president, which is not in my interest at all,” the pope reportedly said.
’60 MINUTES’ ACCUSED OF USING LEFT-LEANING CARDINALS TO BAIT TRUMP INTO FEUD WITH VATICAN
Pope Leo XIV answers journalists’ questions during his flight from Yaoundé, Cameroon, to Luanda, Angola, Saturday, April 18, 2026. (Luca Zennaro/Pool Photo via AP)
Vice President JD Vance later took to X to thank the pope for clearing the record.
“While the media narrative constantly gins up conflict — and yes, real disagreements have happened and will happen — the reality is often much more complicated,” Vance wrote. “Pope Leo preaches the gospel, as he should, and that will inevitably mean he offers his opinions on the moral issues of the day.
“The President — and the entire administration — work to apply those moral principles in a messy world,” he continued. “He will be in our prayers, and I hope that we’ll be in his.”
The vice president’s comments came days after he told Fox News’ Bret Baier on “Special Report” that it would be best for the Vatican to “stick to matters of morality.”
“Let the President of the United States stick to dictating American public policy,” Vance said Tuesday.
Trump last Sunday accused Pope Leo XIV of being “terrible” on foreign policy after the pontiff criticized the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
“He talks about ‘fear’ of the Trump Administration, but doesn’t mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian Organizations, had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else, for holding Church Services, even when going outside, and being ten and even twenty feet apart,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
“I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.”
POPE LEO SLAMS THOSE WHO ‘MANIPULATE RELIGION’ FOR MILITARY OR POLITICAL GAIN, TRUMP RESPONDS
Pope Leo XIV and President Donald Trump (Simone Risoluti/Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images; Salwan Georges/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
During a speech in Cameroon on Thursday, the pope said, “We must make a decisive change of course — a true conversion — that will lead us in the opposite direction, onto a sustainable path rich in human fraternity.
“The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants, yet it is held together by a multitude of supportive brothers and sisters.
Pope Leo XIV speaks as he meets with the community of Bamenda at Saint Joseph’s Cathedral in Bamenda on the fourth day of an 11-day apostolic journey to Africa April 16, 2026. (Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images)
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“Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic or political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report.
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