Heatwaves and wildfires: Which EU countries have the most firefighters?

Firefighters are becoming increasingly important as wildfires affect more countries across Europe. Firefighting capacity varies widely across the EU. Wildfires have hit several European countries hard this year. By early August, 2026 was already the worst year in terms of area burnt in several countries. The EU aims to strengthen its capacity to respond to increasingly severe wildfire seasons. Professional firefighters are at the heart of that response alongside firefighting aircraft and helicopters. But which European countries have the most professional firefighters, and where do they account for the largest share of employment? There were 372,400 professional firefighters in the EU in 2025, according to Eurostat. This represents 0.18% of the total employment in the EU. This is the total number of firefighters. The data do not specify how many are specialised in fighting wildfires. Firefighters “prevent, fight and extinguish fires and assist in other emergencies, protect life and property and conduct rescue efforts” according to Eurostat. Forest firefighters are included in this category, while volunteer firefighters are not. In general, countries with the largest populations and economies tend to have more professional firefighters. As of 2025, Germany had the largest number of professional firefighters, with 57,700. France followed with 47,700, while Italy ranked third with 43,500. Poland came in fourth with 40,000 professional firefighters, while Spain was close behind with 38,500. There were around 187,400 professional firefighters in the EU’s Big Four economies: Germany, France, Italy and Spain. Together, they accounted for 50.3% of the EU total. Romania and Greece also had over 20,000 professional firefighters, while Portugal and Czechia each had more than 16,000. Cyprus and Estonia had the lowest numbers, with fewer than 2,000 professional firefighters each. However, Eurostat data do not cover five EU countries. Greece and Croatia have the highest shares in employment Looking at firefighters as a share of total employment, Greece (0.47%) and Croatia (0.43%) stand out with the highest rates. The figure is above 0.4% in both countries. Portugal follows at 0.33%, while the EU average is just 0.18%. The EU’s Big Four economies all have shares at or below the EU average: Italy at 0.18%, Spain at 0.17%, France at 0.16% and Germany at 0.14%. National firefighter numbers provide only part of the picture. During severe wildfire seasons, countries can request personnel and equipment from elsewhere in Europe when their own resources are stretched. EU coordinates cross-border support “No country should face wildfires alone. Through our civil protection mechanism, Europe is moving aircraft, helicopters and firefighters quickly to where they are needed most,” EU Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib said in a statement on 17 August. The EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) aims to improve coordination in responding to wildfires. According to the European Commission, when national resources come under pressure, countries can rapidly access a wider pool of firefighters, aircraft and other emergency capacities through the UCPM. EU firefighting fleet includes 22 planes and five helicopters The 2026 rescEU fleet and the European civil protection pool include 22 firefighting aeroplanes and 5 helicopters. The Commission emphasises that fire risk is expected to increase further due to climate change. Wildfire risk has also expanded into areas that were not previously exposed. It now extends beyond the Mediterranean region, affecting countries such as Czechia, Germany and Sweden. As of the 31st week of the year, 2026 ranked as the fourth-worst year in the EU for cumulative area burnt by wildfires since 2012, according to Our World in Data. By early August, 489,826 hectares had burnt across the EU. This was 13% higher than the average for the same period during the 14 years from 2012 to 2025. EU governments spent €43.8 billion on fire protection in 2024 EU countries spend a significant amount on fire-protection services. In 2024, general government expenditure on fire-protection services across the EU reached €43.8 billion. This accounted for 0.5% of total general government expenditure. Germany had the highest spending on fire-protection services at €13.7bn, followed by France (€7.9bn). Greece spent slightly over €1bn on fire-protection services in 2024. This accounted for 0.9% of Greek government expenditure — the highest share in the EU and equivalent to almost €1 in every €100 spent. Europe faces rising temperatures and wildfire risks Europe is the fastest-warming continent. June 2026 was the hottest June on record in Western Europe and the second warmest globally according to Copernicus. The last three years were also, respectively, the three warmest on record globally: 2024, 2023 and 2025.