BOISmag 237

A Deadly Summer

The summer of 2026 will sadly go down in the record books for the scale and duration of its wildfires. Across France, forested areas burned everywhere, leaving behind charred trees, devastated landscapes, and helpless professionals. By the end of August, nearly 96,000 hectares had already been consumed by flames in France, even though the fire season was not yet over. While the Fontainebleau fires or the mega-fire in Gironde largely dominated media coverage, no region was spared, with fire outbreaks growing in intensity and complexity, driven by particularly unfavorable weather.

Repeated heatwaves, soil drought, violent winds... this summer's conditions raise direct questions about forest management. What kinds of stands should be planted today so they can withstand tomorrow's climate? How can we protect the ones that already exist? And with what resources? For businesses in the sector, the consequences are immediate. Damaged timber will need to be harvested quickly before it degrades, even as felling, transport, storage, and processing capacities are not infinitely expandable! This temporary "surplus" of wood also risks weighing down certain grades and certain markets. But it must not obscure a more structural difficulty: in the medium term, the destroyed areas and weakened stands will reduce the available resource.

Between prices, volumes, and quality, the equation is shaping up to be particularly complex for professionals in the industry, who are already grappling with volatile markets. The question will no longer simply be how much wood will be available, but where, when, and in what condition.

Faced with this new reality, the political decisions ahead will be decisive. Fire prevention, forest maintenance, forest renewal, species diversification, fire-defense infrastructure: the challenges are well known... and numerous. What remains is to provide the necessary means.

Because after the deadly summer we have just experienced, replanting will not be enough. The forest must be adapted, those who manage it must be supported, and the industry must be guaranteed access to a resource whose availability is itself becoming a strategic issue. Tomorrow's fires are being prepared today, in the areas we choose to maintain, renew, and manage.

Adèle Cazier