Var wildfires: Gros Bessillon fire officially extinguished

The Gros Bessillon wildfire in the Var department has been officially extinguished after a month-long battle. According to the prefecture, the fire is the longest in the department's history. Initially declared on July 21 in a field near Pontevès in the Provence Verte region, the blaze covered a total area of 6,300 hectares, with 5,700 hectares confirmed burned across seven communes: Pontevès, Correns, Cotignac, Carcès, Montfort-sur-Argens, Châteauvert, and Barjols.

Efforts to contain the fire involved the mobilization of 11,000 French and European firefighters supported by significant aerial resources. The disaster led to the evacuation of approximately 6,000 people and caused damage to dozens of homes. The fire also heavily impacted the local wine industry, destroying numerous vineyards just before the harvest season; notably, half of the surface area of the village of Correns was burned.

President Emmanuel Macron visited the Var on Monday, promising that the affected municipalities would receive the same aid mechanisms provided to areas affected in Gironde. Authorities noted that some flare-ups during the fire may have been of criminal origin.