France confronts widespread wildfires as heatwave fuels fires

A series of wildfires swept several French departments on 12 July 2026 amid record heat and dry vegetation. In Maine‑et‑Loire, a vegetation fire burned at least 283 hectares, prompting the deployment of about 200 firefighters, damage to two houses, a high‑voltage line and the evacuation of a nearby festival. In Seine‑Maritime, three field fires destroyed a total of nine hectares; two farmers were lightly injured and taken to hospital. In the Drôme, the Die fire forced evacuations of hamlets in Die and Solaure‑en‑Diois, lifted later in the day as conditions improved, while aerial retardant drops and water‑bombing helicopters continued to combat active fronts. Near Caen in Calvados, a 10‑hectare field fire near the airport was contained by twenty firefighters aided by local farmers. A national tally reported that around 25 000 hectares had burned across France, highlighting the severity of the heatwave‑driven fire risk.