The summer of 2026 was marked by unprecedented heat waves and forest fires in France. And the situation is not expected to improve. There have been four times as many heat wave days in the last decade as in the 1980s, and we can expect five times as many heat wave days per year by 2050. --- The summer of 2026 was marked by unprecedented heat waves and forest fires in France. And the situation is not expected to improve. There have been four times as many heatwave days in the last decade as in the 1980s, and we can expect five times as many heatwave days per year by 2050.
Far from being a trivial matter, heatwaves are a real public health issue. A provisional tally as of July 22nd reports 7,300 deaths linked to the extreme heat this summer in France. Worldwide, nearly 500,000 deaths per year are attributable to heat, according to the WHO, a figure that has increased by at least 85% in the last twenty years[1]. Rising temperatures promote ozone production, and forest fires contribute to the production of fine particulate matter. This air pollution contributes to the increase in respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. The intense heat can also cause nausea, headaches, cramps, difficulty concentrating, etc. A UN study also found that femicides increase by 28% during a heat wave[2]. 220,000 people were evacuated near Bordeaux following forest fires.
Megafires
There is one obvious initial observation regarding the state's management of fires, which is dominating the media: France has only 12 Canadair water bombers, which is woefully inadequate. This is precisely why firefighters are calling for a day of action on September 29th to demand more resources after receiving "no concrete response" following their meeting on August 13th with Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. While it goes without saying that the "industrial firefighting complex" needs to be developed, it remains only a limited palliative to a deeper problem. Indeed, in 2018, the Camp Fire megafire in California was only brought under control thanks to heavy rainfall, despite state-of-the-art equipment and firefighters considered among the most experienced in the world. As philosopher Joëlle Zask reminds us in Reporterre: "We can't stop a megafire[...]they die from natural causes"[3].
Therefore, we must look for a deeper cause of these megafires. Besides, of course, climate change, we must examine the fire risk factors: proximity of forests to urban areas, homogeneity of species, lack of brush-clearing animals, etc. In France, half of the private forests are monospecific, meaning they are composed of a single dominant tree species. The problem? 75% of French forests are privately owned, one of the highest rates in Europe. When a forest becomes a timber reserve from which maximum profit must be extracted, it ceases to be a complex ecosystem, the product of a multitude of interactions. Land use must be optimized to accommodate as many trees as possible, preferably fast-growing species like the maritime pine, which is known to be highly flammable. It is clear how this method of forest management contradicts preventative fire practices: prescribed burns, canopy breaks, etc.
Private forests, deprived of forests
This exploitation of forests is obviously driven by the State. Since 2018, workers at the National Forestry Office (ONF) have been mobilizing against the industrialization of forests, job cuts, the increased use of contract workers, and the rise in state-imposed logging. Several marches were then organized, covering hundreds of kilometers and bringing together ONF (National Forestry Office) employees and local residents, culminating in a manifesto against the commodification of forests, co-signed by several trade unions and associations[4].
A national mobilization was organized by a coalition of professional firefighters' unions from September 26 to 29, with a demonstration in Paris on the last day.
Credits: CGT SDIS 33 (Gironde Fire and Rescue Service)
The situation is very similar with heat waves. Even though they have failed so far, the bourgeoisie and the state offer us a turnkey solution: air conditioning. This is how we witnessed the media frenzy surrounding the company ClimLoc, which had the brilliant idea ofmonopolizing air conditioning units to rent them out at exorbitant prices-kudos to them! But air conditioning for whom? On June 27, following the last-minute cancellation of Paris Pride, several groups occupied the Samaritaine department store to denounce air-conditioned capitalism. Shopping centers are perfectly equipped while nursing homes and hospitals desperately lack it. We must also mention places where air conditioning is not possible, such as outdoor work (construction, agriculture, etc.).
Techno-solutionism
This isn't about saying we shouldn't have air conditioning at all, but rather about more broadly criticizing the techno-solutionism that suggests simply expanding the industrial complex-the very one responsible for global warming-would be enough to produce more air conditioners, which would then meet market needs more than societal ones. Neoliberalism is incapable of considering other solutions. Yet, there are less frequently discussed palliative solutions: building insulation, greening urban areas, reducing the role of cars, and so on.
Because there's an elephant in the room, whether we're talking about forest fires or heat waves: it's global warming. Except among the most reactionary fringes, there's no longer any need to point out that this warming is human-caused. However, it's still necessary to demonstrate its link to capitalism. Yet the argument is simple: capitalism perpetually seeks to expand, but there is no infinite growth in a finite world. A radical change in the mode of production is therefore necessary to curb global warming.
So what can be done? When we see that there are nearly 19,000 deaths per year worldwide related to heat at work[5], unions have a crucial role to play in this period. Working conditions during heat waves are unbearable: premises unsuitable for high temperatures, working outdoors, complicated commutes, etc. Some tools already exist at our disposal: the 2025 heat decree, the concept of serious and imminent danger, the right to refuse work, and the Single Risk Assessment Document (DUERP)[6]. But these tools remain limited in scope. For example, the heat decree allows for adjustments to working hours, but only in cases of non-compliance with obligations. The employer has eight days to comply, roughly the length of a heatwave.
The challenge then becomes linking the deterioration of working conditions to climate change in order to collectively develop demands: reduced working hours, remote work, and regular breaks. This collective process also opens the door to deeper questioning of the social utility of production itself. For example, in 2021, the closure of the GKN car axle factory in Florence led to a strong mobilization of workers, supported by local activism. This mobilization resulted in a reindustrialization project focused on recycling solar panels and producing cargo bikes. Beyond the techno-solutionist promises of the bourgeoisie, the real escape from the climate crisis lies in the self-organization of those most directly affected. And that is something we must build!
Rémi (UCL Paris)
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[1]"Heat and health," World Health Organization, July 31, 2026.
[2]"The climate crisis is leading to an increase in gender-based violence," UN News, April 22, 2025.
[3]"Fires: 'We're planting trees that are like matchsticks,'" Reporterre, August 9, 2025.
[4]"Tronçais Manifesto - for the French forest, our common good," notably available on the SOS Forêt France website.
[5]"Heat at work: Implications for safety and health," International Labour Organization, July 25, 2024.
[6]The Single Document for the Assessment of Occupational Risks is a mandatory document that lists all the risks to the health and safety of employees in a company.
https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?Rechauffement-climatique-notre-maison-brule-regardons-le-capital
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Source: A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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