Feux de Forêt

In Gironde, a fierce fire continues to rage after destroying 240 homes, whilst the fire in the Landes region has been brought under control. Emmanuel Macron has praised the commitment of the emergency services in the face of this critical situation.

A fire engine belonging to UIISC 5 overturned this morning near Corte in Haute-Corse. Four firefighters sustained minor injuries in the accident.

Météo-France provides the fire service with daily forecasts on drought, wind and the spread of fire. This data enables them to deploy resources appropriately before a fire breaks out.

The Civil Protection Service’s Beechcraft King Air B200s coordinate aerial resources in the fight against forest fires. Without dropping water, they orchestrate operations from the air using high-tech equipment.

Every summer, the same images are shown: a firefighter, torch in hand, setting fire to the vegetation in front of a blaze. Every summer, the same reactions follow — bewilderment, anger, and sometimes accusations. These men and women are not arsonists in uniform: they are controlled burners, a handful of specialists trained for years in the most counter-intuitive aspect of fighting forest fires. An investigation into a French expertise, long practised behind the scenes, now enshrined in law — and more essential than ever.

The fire in Biscarrosse (Landes) has burnt 3,500 hectares. More than 30,000 people have been evacuated, but the situation is gradually improving.

A fire has flared up again in Poussan (Hérault), prompting the deployment of 250 firefighters and aerial resources to contain the flames across an area of nearly 100 hectares.

A fire has reignited in the Var, leading to evacuations in Pontevès and Barjols. Aerial resources are being urgently redeployed, whilst another fire has been reported in the Hérault.

The fire that broke out on Tuesday in Saumos continued to spread overnight. Faced with the advancing flames and a change in wind direction, the Prefect of Gironde ordered the third and final phase of the evacuation of the Cap-Ferret peninsula.

In response to the wildfires affecting several regions of France, the government has announced that an Airbus A400M fitted with a 20-tonne water-dropping kit will be deployed by the end of July.

In the Var, the fire, which has swept across nearly 2,500 hectares, mobilised nearly 1,200 firefighters on Thursday amid the threat of a strong mistral.

LIVE: A major fire is ravaging nearly 1,000 hectares in Gironde, mobilising 500 firefighters and leading to the evacuation of thousands of people between Saumos and Le Porge.