Forisk

21/09/2026

🌲 A strong start for our National Focal Point community!

👩🏻‍💻 We were delighted to hold the first online meeting of the FoRISK National Focal Points, bringing together 28 signatory countries plus the European Commission for a dynamic exchange on forest risk management challenges and priorities.

🌳 The discussion explored key trends and emerging concerns affecting Europe's forests, with particular attention to climate change-driven risk scenarios, land abandonment, and the complex interactions between these factors. Participants also highlighted a key challenge: how to support and encourage a shift in forest managers' mindset to strengthen forest resilience amid increasing risks.

🚨 Several priorities emerged from the discussion, including the growing burden of overlapping emergencies, the need for greater preparedness, and the importance of enhanced monitoring activities and data to support informed decision-making.

A sincere thank you to all participating countries (🇦🇱 🇦🇹 🇧🇪 🇧🇬 🇨🇿 🇪🇪 🇫🇮 🇫🇷 🇬🇪 🇩🇪 🇬🇷 🇭🇺 🇮🇪 🇮🇹 🇱🇻 🇱🇹 🇱🇺 🇳🇱 🇳🇴 🇵🇱 🇸🇰 🇸🇮 🇪🇸 🇸🇪 🇨🇭 🇹🇷 🇺🇦 🇬🇧) for their valuable contributions and active engagement. We look forward to continuing this collaboration through the FoRISK work plan and expert groups, working together to maximise the impact, reach, and value of the FoRISK network.

European Forest Institute (EFI)

28/08/2026

🪏 Building wildfire resilience requires practical learning opportunities that expose participants to new tools, techniques and experiences.

Through its support to Forest Camp 2026 (SNEP), FoRISK helped create a training environment where practitioners could learn directly from experts and peers from across .

🇨🇿 Adam Šimek (HZS Středočeského kraje) reflected:

"The Forest Camp 2026 met my expectations even with the difficulties with the weather." He also highlighted a particularly valuable learning component: "With the program itself, the part that brought me the most was the fire be**er station."

👷🏻‍♂️ Practical field-based learning remains at the heart of FoRISK's approach to capacity building. More info about the Forest Camp 👉🏻 https://forisk.org/forest-camp-2026-a-fifth-edition-the-hottest-week-on-record-and-a-new-line-in-eu-wildfire-policy/

European Forest Institute (EFI)

Photo by Wiktor Feliks.

26/08/2026

🌲 One of the goals of Forest Camp 2026 is to help wildfire professionals build stronger international networks while learning from diverse operational experiences.

Co-organised by FoRISK and SNEP, the event brought together participants from across Europe and beyond for three and a half days of practical wildfire training and knowledge exchange.

🇩🇪 Christian Leipelt shared:

"It was a fantastic experience to be part of the camp. The organisation was excellent."

For FoRISK, creating opportunities for future cooperation is just as important as the training itself. More info about the Forest Camp 👉🏻 https://forisk.org/forest-camp-2026-a-fifth-edition-the-hottest-week-on-record-and-a-new-line-in-eu-wildfire-policy/

European Forest Institute (EFI)

Photo by Wiktor Feliks

24/08/2026

👷🏻‍♂️ Professional networks are becoming increasingly important as wildfire risks expand into new regions.

At Forest Camp 2026, co-organised by FoRISK and SNEP, participants built relationships that will support future cooperation and learning.

Stijn De Blick 🇧🇪 from the PXL University of Applied Sciences (Hogeschool PXL) shared:

"Forest Camp was the most valuable learning experience I have had so far... The opportunity to work and connect with passionate people from so many different countries gave me confidence, inspiration and a professional network that will shape my future career."

👨🏻‍💻 This long-term impact is exactly what FoRISK seeks to achieve. More info about the Forest Camp 👉🏻 https://forisk.org/forest-camp-2026-a-fifth-edition-the-hottest-week-on-record-and-a-new-line-in-eu-wildfire-policy/

European Forest Institute (EFI)

Photo by Wiktor Feliks

21/08/2026

🔥 As wildfire risks continue to increase across Europe, sharing operational experience between countries is becoming more important than ever.

At Forest Camp 2026, co-organised by FoRISK and SNEP, participants from different nations trained together in realistic wildfire scenarios and exchanged approaches to prevention, preparedness and response.

🇨🇿 David Blažek, Commander of the Rudná Volunteer Fire Department, highlighted:

"The approach of the entire training was professional, both from the instructors and the responding firefighters."

He also stressed the value of international teamwork:

"Of course, the most important thing was the multicultural interaction."

🌐 This reflects one of FoRISK's core principles: bringing together different national and regional perspectives to strengthen integrated wildfire risk management and learn from each other.

More info about the Forest Camp 👉🏻 https://forisk.org/forest-camp-2026-a-fifth-edition-the-hottest-week-on-record-and-a-new-line-in-eu-wildfire-policy/

European Forest Institute (EFI)
HZS Středočeského kraje

Photo by Wiktor Feliks

19/08/2026

🔥 Wildfires do not stop at borders, and neither should learning.

Forest Camp 2026, co-organised by FoRISK and SNEP, brought together participants from dozens of countries to train side by side, exchange operational experiences and explore different approaches to wildfire preparedness and response.

Vitalii Romanenko from Ukraine (Державне агентство лісових ресурсів України) 🇺🇦 reflected on the value of this international exchange:

"Attending events where representatives from different countries can connect and work together on critical tasks during forest fires is truly invaluable."

Working in one of the most international teams at the camp, he also noted:

"In my personal opinion, this diversity is highly beneficial for the participants, as it allows everyone to analyse different approaches and adapt them for future use in their home countries."

🌳 This kind of peer-to-peer learning lies at the heart of FoRISK's mission to strengthen integrated wildfire risk management through cooperation, knowledge exchange and capacity building across Europe and beyond. More info about the Forest Camp 👉🏻 https://forisk.org/forest-camp-2026-a-fifth-edition-the-hottest-week-on-record-and-a-new-line-in-eu-wildfire-policy/

European Forest Institute (EFI)

Photo by Wiktor Feliks.

18/08/2026

❗️ Wildfires in unexpected places are a warning for .

🔥 In a recent interview with FRANCE 24, FoRISK expert Alexander Held reflected on the record peatland fire in and the growing frequency of across regions not traditionally associated with fire risk. He stressed that extreme wildfire events are no longer isolated incidents and called for a shift from reactive crisis management to long-term preparedness.

👷🏻‍♂️ From resilient landscapes and fire-smart communities to stronger coordination between authorities, land managers, and citizens, the message was clear 👉🏻 building resilience is a shared responsibility. Prevention, planning, and integrated risk management must go hand in hand with emergency response.

🌲 At FoRISK, we continue to support knowledge exchange and science-based approaches that help strengthen forest and community resilience across Europe.

Massive wildfires are burning across Europe, from Belgium and Greec...

17/08/2026

🌲 Wildfire management benefits from diverse experiences.

That is why Forest Camp 2026, co-organised by SNEP and FoRISK, intentionally created multinational teams where participants could learn from different operational cultures and environments, and also from countries more prone to fires than others not yet affected primarily, from Mediterranean to Nordic countries.

🇫🇮 Mika Viertola from the North Karelia Rescue Services (Pohjois-Karjalan pelastuslaitos) highlighted:

"I came to the camp to get more knowledge from all over Europe and the world."

And described one of the most valuable aspects of the event:

"I loved to be in Team India with 12 people from 10 nationalities. That's the reason to be here."

🌎 For FoRISK, these international exchanges are fundamental to strengthening wildfire preparedness across borders in the pan-European region and beyond.

More info about the Forest Camp 👉🏻 https://forisk.org/forest-camp-2026-a-fifth-edition-the-hottest-week-on-record-and-a-new-line-in-eu-wildfire-policy/

European Forest Institute (EFI)
Photo by Wiktor Feliks

14/08/2026

🌳 One of the unique strengths of events like the Forest Camp 2026 is its ability to bring together participants from every level of wildfire governance: from volunteers to researchers, policymakers and operational leaders.

For FoRISK, this diversity helps bridge the gaps that often exist between sectors and disciplines.

Heiner Schumann, from the Thünen Institute 🇩🇪, reflected:

"I could make loads of international contacts in forest research and even at political levels."

He also recalled a memorable assessment from an instructor:

"No way! This is a unique event, bringing people and knowledge together and mixing it without the usual separation of high-ranking knowledge holders and beginners."

⛓️‍💥 Creating these connections for training, international cooperation, or knowledge transfer is at the heart of FoRISK's mission.

More info about the Forest Camp 👉🏻 https://forisk.org/forest-camp-2026-a-fifth-edition-the-hottest-week-on-record-and-a-new-line-in-eu-wildfire-policy/

European Forest Institute (EFI)
SNEP

12/08/2026

🔥 Wildfires are not the crisis; they are now part of our lives…

In his interview with FRANCE 24, our wildfire expert Alexander Held (European Forest Institute (EFI)) highlights a critical reality: increasingly severe fires across and are exposing deeper weaknesses in our landscapes and ecosystems.

As firefighting systems reach their limits, resilience must come from prevention: more diverse landscapes, improved water retention, sustainable forestry and agriculture, and stronger community preparedness.

One message stands out: we cannot rely solely on emergency response. Building resilience requires empowered citizens, informed decision-making, and long-term investment in landscape management.

At FoRISK, we support knowledge exchange and risk-informed approaches that help communities better understand, anticipate, and adapt to escalating wildfire risks.

🎥 A timely reminder that resilience starts long before the first spark.

Watch the full interview 🎙️

As well as drought, Europe has also been battling wildfires this su...