France wildfire update: Blazes continue across south as red alerts raised

A major forest fire in southern France continues to burn this morning despite hundreds of firefighters tackling the blaze overnight. It comes as three departments - Vaucluse, Essonne, and Deux-Sèvres - are placed on the highest possible alert for forest fires today.

The wildfire at Trévillach (Pyrénées-Orientales) has already burned around 5,000 hectares of land, making it the most destructive of the year to date.

Around 12,000 people had already been evacuated from the area –  an additional 2,000 were asked to evacuate overnight following 10,000 already leaving the area.

An update from the Pyrénées-Orientales prefect this morning confirmed the fire is still ongoing but is no longer spreading to new areas.

It has a perimeter of around 40km, reaching across dozens of communes, but winds are less powerful today and firefighters hope to begin to reduce the surface area of the blaze and put it out.

The fire has led to a spike in air pollution across the department. Pregnant women, the elderly, individuals with cardiovascular conditions, and asthmatics are advised to refrain from strenuous activity outdoors and avoid smoke from fires.

A summer of blazes on the way?

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu confirmed this morning that nearly 14,500 hectares of land have been destroyed already by summer wildfires in France, around three times the amount at this time last year. 

European data on forest fire levels – which covers the overall amount of land impacted by fires and not just areas destroyed – states more than 33,000 hectares of land in France touched by wildfires this year.

This is, nearly as much as in 2025 (36,951 according to the European Forest Fire Information System). 

Elsewhere, a fire in Lozère that destroyed 150 hectares has been put out, and a blaze in Drôme is stable, although ongoing. The latter has seen around 1,000 hectares of land burn.

A blaze at Carlencas-et-Levas (Hérault) remains ongoing but firefighters are hoping calmer winds today will allow for it to be put out. Around 250 firefighters were tackling the blaze yesterday.

Several people in the department have been detained in recent days over suspicion of arson in relation to several fires in the area since last week, including a man, 27, suspected of starting the above blaze.

Another man, 21, was arrested on Sunday and believed to have started nine fires between Béziers and Pézenas. None of the fires caused major damage however.

“The gendarmes are fully mobilised to track down anyone responsible for such reckless and disastrous actions. The consequences will be severe,” said the prefect.

The vast majority of fires in France are caused by human activity, with arson being a significant cause.

Weather conditions keep risks high

State forecaster Météo France has updated its forest fire risk map today, placing three departments on the highest possible alert for blazes.

These are Vaucluse, Essonne, and Deux-Sèvres, and a further 61 departments are at a heightened risk. 

Currently, tomorrow’s map sees five southern departments on a red alert, but is subject to change.

You can read more about the forest fire risk map here, and read about how to check if there are fires near you in our article here.

Southerly winds including the Mistral and Tramontane are expected to be less strong today, reducing the risk of fires spreading as rapidly as the start of the week. 

However, high temperatures from the new heatwave that has started to impact the south of France keeps the risk high, as vegetation continues to dry out making it more susceptible to catching fire. 

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has confirmed that four anti-fire aircraft will be sent to France to help tackle the blazes.