
In July 2026, a large wildfire occurred in the Gironde department, France. Wildfires affected about 2 French departments, but none were as large as those in the Gironde region. A total of 42,000 hectares of forest, agricultural land, and towns were destroyed, and many people were forced to flee. The extreme drought fueled the fires, making them enormous. This wildfire has been considered one of the largest in French history since 1949.



More than 2700 firefighters, firefighting helicopters and planes, and fire engines were deployed. Even local farmers helped with their equipment. One of the biggest challenges was ensuring an adequate water supply. Several Hytrans units from the Civil Defense and SDIS, along with two additional Hytrans units from Lemmer, were deployed for over a week. More than 4.5 million liters of water were pumped. The hoses reached water-supply distances exceeding 4,000 meters.
Für die Unterstützung aus der Ferne ermöglichten die Hytrans-Anlagen den Transport von Wasser aus Quellen, selbst in Gebieten, die für herkömmliche Ausrüstung unzugänglich waren. Allerdings ist jeder Waldbrand anders, und ein schneller, flexibler Einsatz der richtigen Ausrüstung ist unerlässlich. In diesem Fall wurde das mobile System effizient genutzt, um Löschfahrzeuge und Wassertankwagen mit ausreichend Wasser zu versorgen. Nach einigen Wochen der Brandbekämpfung waren die Brände unter Kontrolle.
Across France, over 95 Hytrans units are in service.