The problem of representing electromagnetic fields in an electron plasma subjected to large and rapid electron‐density variations due to transient ionization processes is considered. The inherently nonlinear character of this problem, which arises in the Maxwell‐Euler equations through the electron transport term ▿· (nV), is retained under the assumption that temporal variations of the electron densitynare of first order in magnitude while spatial variations innare of second order. That is, we asume V·▿n≪n▿·V and consequently, ▿· (nV)≃n▿·V, where V is the induced velocity field. With the aid of vector and scalar potentials, it is shown that, in this case, the set of ten coupled Maxwell‐Euler equations describing a cold, isotropic, lossy, electron plasma with current and ionization sources can be reduced to a set of five integro‐differential equations which are effectively decoupled. A method of solving these equations based on perturbation techniques is sketched for the case where the initial electron density is zero.