On the need of a European program for wildfire-prepared communities – the FIREPRIME project

Wildfires in the Wildland-Urban Interface  (WUI) are a rising problem in Europe, driven by lengthening hot, dry seasons in southern regions and the emergence of fire-prone zones in central and northern countries unprepared for large-scale wildfires. Climate change intensifies these challenges, underscoring the urgent need to enhance resilience and self-protection capabilities of WUI communities.

Although several EU initiatives have focused on improving community resilience to wildfires, their practical implementation and impact remain limited. These efforts are often isolated and localized, lacking integration into a cohesive, harmonized European strategy. This gap has left Europe without a unified framework for fostering fire-adapted communities capable of coexisting with wildfires. In contrast, international programs like FireSmart Canada and Firewise USA provide successful examples of global, community-centered approaches that could inspire European efforts.

The FIREPRIME project aims to address this gap by establishing the foundations for an EU-wide program to promote a culture of wildfire resilience among WUI communities, with a focus on civil protection. FIREPRIME is designing at pilot level the program architecture and governance, and is developing a comprehensive toolkit of resources that includes a smartphone app, guidelines, checklists, and educational materials aimed at enhancing wildfire resilience in three critical targets: households, communities, and infrastructure.

These tools are being piloted in three diverse European regions, each representing unique fire regimes, ecosystems, and population profiles: Collserola-Barcelona, Spain (Mediterranean Europe); Tyrol, Austria (Central Europe); and Gothenburg, Sweden (Northern Europe). This presentation will showcase the rationale behind FIREPRIME, its key tools, and initial results from pilot region collaborations, emphasizing the project's inclusive and regionally sensitive approach, which fosters active engagement with local stakeholders and WUI communities.