July the 26th, 2026 – Croatian firefighting pilots are battling massive wildfires in France, which have caused unimaginable destruction in the southwest of the country.
Index reports that Croatian military firefighters are playing a key role in the fight against devastating wildfires sweeping southwestern France, where huge blazes continue to threaten communities near Bordeaux.
Members of the 855th Firefighting Squadron of the Croatian Air Force have been deployed to France as part of an international firefighting effort. They are currently operating in the Biscarrosse area, where large wildfires remain active and conditions continue to challenge emergency crews.
The Croatian crews arrived in France on the 24th of July. On their first day they were assigned to fires near Salernes, before being redeployed to the Bordeaux region as the situation worsened. During their first two days of operations, the crews completed 72 flights, logged a total of 13.5 flying hours, and dropped 402 tonnes of water on the enormous flames.
According to the Croatian Ministry of Defence, the mission remains highly demanding due to the scale of the fires and rapidly changing conditions on the ground. Major Tomislav Vranjić said the situation is still extremely complex, with Croatian pilots making every effort to support French firefighters in bringing the blazes under control.
The deployment comes as France battles one of its largest wildfire outbreaks in decades. The fires in the Gironde region have burned tens of thousands of hectares, forced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people and prompted international assistance from across Europe.
Croatia’s Canadair crews are among Europe’s most experienced aerial firefighters, regularly assisting other countries through the European Union’s civil protection cooperation mechanisms. Their latest mission once again highlights Croatia’s expertise in tackling large-scale wildfires beyond its own borders.
