Massive Wildfires Sweep Southern France, Hundreds Evacuated

A fast‑moving wildfire ignited on 19 July in the Var department and quickly expanded to an estimated 1,700‑2,000 ha. The blaze descended from the Gros Bessillon mountain, threatening the communes of Cotignac, Montfort‑sur‑Argens, Correns, Pontevès, Sillans‑la‑Cascade and nearby villages. About 300‑400 residents were evacuated, several houses were destroyed, and four firefighters were lightly injured by smoke. French authorities deployed up to 1,000 firefighters, 80 firefighting vehicles and extensive aerial support—including five Canadairs, four water‑bombing helicopters, two Dash aircraft and a heavy helicopter—to create retardant barriers.

Other major fires were reported across France in the same period: a 20‑ha blaze in Trignac (Loire‑Atlantique) that consumed three houses, a 130‑ha forest fire in the Hautes‑Alpes, a 10‑ha fire near a caravan settlement in Nantes that forced the evacuation of about 70 people, and a two‑ha vegetation fire between Chenôve and Marsannay‑la‑Côte near Dijon. Several departments (Gironde, Indre‑et‑Loire, Loire‑Atlantique) placed forest‑fire risk alerts at the highest level, restricting access to wooded areas and banning open flames.

Overall, thousands of firefighters and numerous aerial assets have been engaged nationwide to contain the fires, protect homes and infrastructure, and prevent further spread amid hot, dry, windy conditions.