France is facing the worst wildfire crisis in its modern history in 2026. Since the beginning of the year, over 116,000 hectares have already burned. Since July 22, a mega-fire has been ravaging the Landes de Gascogne forest in Gironde: 42,000 hectares destroyed in just a few days, hundreds of buildings leveled, and more than 220,000 people forced to evacuate, while several thousand firefighters, military personnel and European reinforcements remain mobilized on the ground.
True to its mission of addressing both immediate crises and long-term challenges, the AXA Foundation for Human Progress is mobilizing €1 million in response to this unprecedented emergency and its human, economic and environmental consequences.
Three organizations are receiving immediate funding:
The French Red Cross, for material and psychosocial emergency aid;
The SDIS (Departmental Fire and Rescue Services), to help fund essential equipment for firefighting operations - in Gironde and the Landes;
Civil Protection, to help fund the resources needed to shelter and assist displaced populations - primarily in Gironde, followed by Corsica and the Var.
No Longer Just Responding to Emergencies
The growing frequency and intensity of wildfires now threaten most forest regions across France and Europe. Fighting wildfires can no longer be approached as a matter of emergency response alone.
A paradigm shift is required toward collective, systemic prevention rooted in local communities - combining forest management, early detection, rapid response, stakeholder training, and cooperation between landowners, local authorities, insurers and emergency services.
In line with AXA Foundation’s ambition for a viable future, scientific research and the protection of nature, we support long-term initiatives to sustain our commitments over time, create lasting impact and reduce risk.
In France, for example, we are partnering with Voies Navigables de France and the Fondation Terres d'Eau, to protect water resources and biodiversity to strengthen territorial resilience to climate challenges; with the Goodplanet Foundation, through regenerative hydrology projects ; Internationally, with the Technical University of Crete, where Prof. Apostolos Voulgarakis, is developing global-scale fire propagation models to raise awareness and train decision-makers (see the dedicated Master Class); with AXA Climate and the University of Zaragoza, who are co-funding the development of a local model integrating vegetation, topography and climate factors (notably El Niño), with a case study in Chile.
Preparing for tomorrow
Through its commitment to nature, the AXA Foundation for Human Progress works to restore, preserve and sustainably manage ecosystems for future generations.
Every project we support is part of a chain of action - from knowledge to citizens, from local to global - demonstrating that, together, it is possible to repair, prevent risk, and prepare for the future.