France reports multiple fires and emergency service strikes

France has experienced several significant fire-related incidents across various regions. In Vendée, a fire at a pig farm in Commequiers resulted in the death of approximately 700 pigs and injured two people.

Wildfires have impacted multiple departments. In Aude, a fire in the Puilaurens region has burned 225 hectares; while stabilized, it remains active. Other vegetation fires have been reported in the Ardèche and Pyrénées-Atlantiques regions. In Dordogne, firefighters successfully contained a forest fire in the Auvézère gorges that destroyed two to three hectares of vegetation.

In Ille-et-Vilaine, a fire broke out in the attic of the Sainte-Marie school in Saint-Père-Marc-en-Poulet, leading to the evacuation of 230 students and staff. No injuries were reported.

During the Masters de Feu pyrotechnic event in Compiègne, a small fire in a storage area caused a 50-minute suspension of the show, though it was quickly controlled by emergency services and no spectators were harmed.

Separately, firefighters in Vienne are participating in a national strike to demand increased staffing and resources, sparking debates in the departmental council regarding the funding of the Service départemental d’incendie et de secours (Sdis).