Forest fires ravage northern France, prompting large firefighter deployments

Two successive forest fires broke out near Neufchâtel‑Hardelot in the Pas‑de‑Calais region, first on 25 July burning about 1.5 hectares of pine and dry vegetation and a second flare‑up in the early hours of 26 July adding roughly two more hectares. No injuries or evacuations were reported, and the cause of the blazes remains undetermined.

Since early July, the fire service of the Oise department has dispatched a total of 88 firefighters to assist with forest‑fire fighting in several other French departments, including the Pyrénées Orientales, Var, Landes, Gironde and Seine‑et‑Marne. As of the latest report, 59 of those firefighters remain active on the various hotspots, illustrating the broader strain on French emergency services amid a wave of wildfires across the country.