On Monday 7 July, at around 3 pm, a fire of rare intensity broke out in the area around the Saint-Julien de Septime estate, near Narbonne. By 9.30 pm, the flames had engulfed nearly 1,500 hectares of vegetation, fanned by strong winds and an exceptional drought for the season.
Video footage shot at the front line shows utter hell: walls of flame, a sky blackened by smoke...
Enormous resources have been mobilised to bring the blaze under control
More than 500 firefighters, drawn from several departments, have been deployed, supported by an impressive aerial fleet: six Canadairs, three Dash aircraft, two water-bombing helicopters and one Dragon. The A9 and A61 motorways are closed, causing major traffic jams and necessitating the introduction of emergency diversions.
The authorities have also cut the power supply to two high-voltage power lines to facilitate access to the areas affected by the fires, affecting more than 10,000 households.
An explosive mix of weather conditions and causes that remain unclear
According to experts at the National Forestry Office (ONF), weather conditions are extremely conducive to this type of blaze. This situation, combined with the wind and the heat, has created a veritable fire-fuelling cocktail.
Whilst the exact cause of the fire has yet to be determined, Colonel Christophe Magny has suggested that a cigarette butt thrown onto the roadside is the main line of inquiry, telling L'Indépendant.
Serious environmental and human consequences
On X (formerly Twitter), the Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, announced that a child had suffered minor injuries and that five houses had been destroyed by the fire. The mayor of Narbonne described the situation as “catastrophic” for the local flora and fauna. Evacuations were necessary, and several neighbourhoods have been cordoned off to allow the emergency services to operate effectively.
To follow the progress of this fire and other fires in France in real time, visit our live fire map. To find out today’s fire alert level, visit our alert map and follow the forest weather.
The fight continues tonight in an attempt to bring the blaze under control and protect the communities still at risk.