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French firefighters who have been on strike since Sept. 8 set up camp beneath the Eiffel Tower in Paris on Sunday to draw the government’s attention to resource shortages after a scorching summer that saw wildfires surge. They also plan to join a public-sector walkout across France on Tuesday.
Sgt. Nicolas Lomet, who serves in the Rhone region and represents the Sud union, told RFI that the service lacks staff and equipment. "In practical terms, we’re short of everything. We’re short of firefighters; we’re short of fire engines," he said.
Lomet wears a strike badge instead of rank insignia and criticizes the government’s inaction in the face of staff shortages, a major problem for years, which will be "even worse" in 2026. Climate change compounds the strain through a hot, dry summer. Blazes have multiplied while funding has stagnated.
Beyond funding, the way the profession operates poses problems. Volunteer firefighters, for whom this is not their main job, make up 80% of the workforce and carry an excessive load.
"They go out three or four times a night, then go straight back to work the next day. When do these people get any rest?" asks the sergeant. "Perhaps we need more of them, and in areas where there are too many call-outs, perhaps we should switch to professional firefighters," he suggests.
According to the Securite civile board, 2,682 professional firefighters on average have joined the strike each day since Sept. 8, representing 9.3% of the total workforce.
Firefighters plan a march through Paris on Monday, gathering outside the Ministry of Economy and Finance, before joining a public-sector demonstration on Tuesday, days before the government presents its draft budget.
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