As the 2026 wildfire season is expected to be particularly severe under the influence of the El Niño phenomenon, the EDHEC Climate Institute and Climate Innov are harnessing research, satellite data and artificial intelligence to strengthen wildfire prevention and response.
An hour-by-hour wildfire ignition risk forecast, accessible to everyone
Climate change is reshaping the geography of wildfires. In 2022, 62,000 hectares burned, equivalent to 60% of the area of the City of Paris, and wildfire risk is no longer confined to France's Mediterranean regions. In 2026, with the expected development of the El Niño phenomenon, meteorological services are forecasting an even more severe wildfire season.
In response to this evolving risk, the EDHEC Climate Institute and Climate Innov have made ensemblepourlaforet.fr available to every citizen: an hour-by-hour wildfire ignition risk forecast.
This innovative forecasting service is based on the use of artificial intelligence to analyse data collected from multiple low-Earth orbit and geostationary satellite constellations, providing enhanced accuracy and anticipation capabilities for wildfire ignition risk across metropolitan France.
In addition to combining next-generation satellite data through artificial intelligence, ensemblepourlaforet.fr relies on predictive weather models. The platform delivers a uniform 3 km spatial resolution across metropolitan France and provides hour-by-hour forecasts up to 36 hours in advance.
Accessible free of charge, with no registration, subscription or collection of personal data, the platform enables everyone to check wildfire ignition risk before going hiking, spending a weekend in the countryside, or simply carrying out everyday activities near forested areas.
Users may also sign up free of charge to receive an email notification the day before indicating the expected wildfire ignition risk level for one or two French departments of their choice.
In France, one out of every two wildfires is caused by an unintentional human action. Nine out of ten wildfires are of human origin: a discarded cigarette, a barbecue, or an agricultural or domestic spark. Providing people with the right information at the right time enables everyone to adapt their behaviour and contribute to protecting forests.
SecuFire Action: a professional decision-support tool for public authorities
The wildfire ignition risk forecasting service forms part of a broader modular offering that includes SecuFire Action, a professional real-time wildfire prediction and decision-support tool.
Made available free of charge on a long-term basis to French Fire and Rescue Services (SDIS), local authorities, public forest managers and operators of critical public infrastructure, SecuFire Action brings together a comprehensive suite of decision-support modules, including:
- meteorological analysis;
- topography;
- vegetation status;
- wildfire spread simulation;
- historical wildfire data;
- water resources;
- DFCI zoning;
- critical infrastructure mapping;
- physical wildfire spread modelling.
Expected benefits include:
- up to a 30% reduction in burned surface area;
- a 10% to 30% reduction in CO₂ and fine particulate emissions;
- reduced infrastructure losses, biodiversity losses and firefighting costs.
These solutions are not intended to replace the expertise of operational teams. Rather, they are designed to enhance it by providing reliable, up-to-date and actionable information that supports decision-making and operational response.
This long-term free access is reserved exclusively for public organisations involved in wildfire prevention and response through a partnership agreement with the EDHEC Climate Institute and Climate Innov.
Research serving climate resilience
For the EDHEC Climate Institute, whose mission is to support decision-making in the face of major climate challenges, funding this initiative reflects a tangible commitment to risk prevention and the protection of communities and territories.
"As wildfire risk continues to evolve, our responsibility is to ensure that research and innovation are mobilised for the benefit of those who protect territories and communities. Through this initiative, the EDHEC Climate Institute is making a concrete and long-term commitment by providing public authorities with free access to state-of-the-art tools that strengthen their capacity for anticipation and action."
Camille Angué, Director, EDHEC Climate Institute
"The technologies integrated into SecuFire Action are the result of several years of research, development and operational validation. Our objective is not to replace the expertise of emergency services but to provide them, during crisis situations, with the most reliable and accurate aggregated information possible regarding the likely evolution of a wildfire. In the fight against wildfires, every minute gained and every better-informed decision can make a difference."
Ahmed El Fadhel, Co-Founder & CTO, Climate Innov
By combining the applied research expertise of the EDHEC Climate Institute with Climate Innov's scientific know-how, these two initiatives place advanced prevention, anticipation and decision-support tools at the service of both citizens and public authorities in response to the growing threat of wildfires.
Check the hour-by-hour wildfire ignition risk forecast
www.ensemblepourlaforet.fr
