Firefighters battle wildfire in southern France
Hundreds of firefighters battled the blaze as strong winds and dry vegetation drove the spread, and officials said 200 people were evacuated or confined.
- A large wildfire raged across southern France on July 1, consuming 800ha as hundreds of firefighters mobilized in the Herault and Aude departments.
- Temperatures of around 30C combined with strong wind gusts drove the fire through dry vegetation, while difficult hilly terrain with no access routes hampered firefighting efforts.
- About 200 people were evacuated or confined in Pouzols-Minervois and Mailhac, though a prefecture source said "the fire is contained at times," officials confirmed "it is not under control."
- Water-Dumping aircraft joined suppression efforts as local firefighters reported two smaller blazes breaking out in Rognac and Lancon Provence near Marseille.
- The crisis follows major blazes in the Corbieres region last year and occurs days after a deadly heatwave across Europe, with another heatwave forecast.
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55 Articles
On Thursday, severe early fires stirred up by the heat wave ravaged southern France, mobilising firefighters.
After heat wave: Wildfires ravage southern France
Several wildfires scorched southern France on Thursday after weeks of dry weather and record-high temperatures during the recent heat wave. According to local authorities, the largest fires spread in the Aude and Herault regions. Up to 800 firefighters and 150 vehicles were deployed to combat flames that spread over 900 hectares (2,200 acres). In the Pyrenees-Orientales region, nearly 3,000 tourists and local residents were evacuated after a wil…
Nearly 3,000 people had to be evacuated from several campsites but also from companies and several municipalities after a fire broke out in Sainte-Marie-la-Mer and spread Thursday in Canet-en-Roussillon, in the south of France, affecting the nautical pole, said Thursday the prefect of the Pyrénées-Orientales. ...
The largest fire raged in the Aude department, near the border with Spain
Firefighters battle blazes scorching southern France after record heatwave
Hundreds of firefighters battled wildfires raging in southern France on Thursday after weeks of dry weather and record temperatures, with a further heatwave forecast to hit the country in the coming days.
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