A coalition of nine representative firefighters’ unions in France has announced a strike notice from September 8 to October 20, calling for increased resources after a summer marked by major wildfires.

Axar.az reports, citing French media, that Xavier Boy, a spokesperson for the inter-union group, announced this.

“We are going to submit a strike notice from September 8 until October 20."

Boy said September 8 would mark the handover of a draft law on modernizing civil security, while the first part of the 2027 finance bill is due to be voted on October 20. He said maintaining pressure between the two dates was necessary.

The unions are demanding additional resources, the recruitment of 20,000 professional firefighters and the rapid adoption of legislation to modernize France’s civil security system. About 44,000 professional firefighters currently work in France, in addition to volunteer firefighters.

“We will have to ensure that the texts they present to us are up to the task,” Boy said.

Peter Gurruchaga of the CGT-Sdis union said firefighters were expected to handle growing risks without adequate investment.

“We are ready for the risks of yesterday; we are asking to be ready to face the risks of tomorrow,” he said.

At least 120,000 hectares of land have been affected by fires in France since the beginning of summer, according to provisional government estimates.

The strike notice, submitted to Interior Minister Laurent Nunez on Friday, was signed by eight of the nine representative organizations.