Large-scale fire in Dutch Datacenter
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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 is 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 units from Hytrans in 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.
For long-distance support, the Hytrans units enabled water to be transported from sources even in areas inaccessible to standard equipment. However, every wildfire is different, and fast, flexible deployment of the right equipment is essential. In this case, the mobile system was used efficiently to supply firefighting vehicles and water tankers with sufficient water. After a few weeks of firefighting, the fires were under control.
Across France, over 110 Hytrans units are in service.
