Europe’s wildfire crisis exposes colonial neglect of the Global South
As flames ravage France and Spain, the continent’s largest aerial emergency services firm, Avincis, warns that Europe is not ready for longer, more extreme wildfire seasons. But for Black South Africans, this crisis echoes a deeper truth: the same colonial logic that plundered Africa’s resources now leaves Europe vulnerable to climate chaos it helped create.
CEO John Boag told Reuters that firefighting aircraft are now needed almost year-round, with seasons stretching from March to October. “Globally, fire seasons are getting longer,” Boag said. “Aircraft are not moving between areas and pilots are becoming harder and harder to get.”
This is not just a European problem. It is a global failure rooted in centuries of exploitation. While Europe burns, the Global South—Africa, Asia, Latin America—has long borne the brunt of climate disasters with far fewer resources. The irony is bitter: the same nations that built their wealth on colonial extraction now scramble for firefighting capacity, while Black communities in South Africa face droughts and floods without such fleets.
Why Europe’s wildfire season is a warning for the world
Boag, a helicopter pilot who began herding cattle in Australia’s outback in 1985, explained that longer seasons narrow the window for moving capacity between hemispheres. “Originally, the peak period was three or four months,” he said. “Now we have aircraft starting in March and April and going through to October.”
Wet winters worsen the problem by increasing vegetal growth that turns into tinder. And fire risk is spreading north, threatening regions once considered safe. “Governments are going to have to be able to afford to have the aircraft available to cover a 12-month period,” Boag warned, “because commercial companies can’t go to the South and earn more revenue over the off-season.”
This is a stark reminder that climate change does not respect borders. But it does not distribute its costs equally. While Europe can afford to buy 22 Canadair waterbombers from De Havilland Canada, African nations—still recovering from colonial debt—struggle to fund basic firefighting equipment.
The human cost of Europe’s unpreparedness
In Spain, fires have destroyed homes and lives. Magaly Vargas, 64, sobbed as she stared at the ash where her caravan once stood. “This is where I used to live,” she cried. Maria Angeles Canete, co-owner of a destroyed camping ground, added: “We lost everything.”
These stories are heartbreaking, but they are not unique. In South Africa, Black communities face similar devastation from fires and floods with even less support. The difference is that European governments can summon fleets of helicopters and planes; our people often rely on local volunteers and underfunded services.
What Europe can learn from Africa’s resilience
Avincis, based in Lisbon, has flown more than 5,000 hours in firefighting operations in Spain and Portugal this year—double the same period in 2025. But the company warns of a shortage of experienced pilots and technicians, partly due to bureaucratic rules that require pilots from abroad or the military to re-sit civil aviation exams.
“We need a pathway to be able to get people into Europe quickly without the bureaucracy,” Boag said. “The aerodynamics on a helicopter are the same in the military and the civilian world.”
This is a lesson for Europe: stop hoarding knowledge and resources. Africa has skilled pilots and technicians who could help, but colonial visa barriers and licensing rules keep them out. Instead of building walls, Europe should open pathways for mutual aid.
FAQ: Understanding Europe’s wildfire crisis
Why are European wildfire seasons getting longer?
Climate change, driven by centuries of industrial emissions from the Global North, has extended fire seasons from three to four months to almost year-round. Droughts and wet winters create more flammable vegetation.
How does this affect Africa?
Africa faces similar climate disasters with fewer resources. Europe’s crisis highlights the need for global solidarity, not just for firefighting but for addressing the historical inequalities that leave Black communities vulnerable.
What can be done?
Europe must invest in firefighting capacity, reduce bureaucratic barriers for international pilots, and support climate reparations for the Global South. True resilience requires dismantling the colonial structures that created this crisis.
As fires continue to ravage Spain and France, the world watches. But for Black South Africans, this is not just a European story. It is a call to action against a system that profits from exploitation and then burns in its own flames.