French Interior Minister says contained wildfire in Var region torched 4,800 hectares
âFollowing the fire in Biscarrosse in the Landes region, which was contained [Monday] â an incident that mobilised 550 firefighters, 450 gendarmes, and numerous volunteers from accredited civil protection organizations â the fire in Pontevès in the Var region has now also been brought under control. First reported on July 21, this fire burned nearly 4,800 hectares in the Pontevès area and surrounding municipalities,â the French Interior Minister wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
âA suspected arsonist has been arrested by the gendarmerie and placed in pretrial detention. Vigilance remains at its highest level: surveillance operations, treatment of the 160 kilometres of firebreaks, and security measures are continuing to prevent any resurgence of the fire,â NuĂąez said.
An aerial view of the fires
Some 2,750 firefighters are battling the massive wildfire in Gironde
âWe have 2,750 firefighters battling the fire tree by tree, and we have 23 aircraft taking turns dropping water and fire retardant,â said Sophie Brocas, the prefect of Gironde.
The effort by emergency services to combat the region's wildfire -- the largest in France since 1949 -- has left 110 firefighters injured.
Welcome to the France 24 liveblog covering wildfires in Europe. You can catch up on yesterday's developments here.
Red fire retardant is a vital tool in fighting Europe's fires
Among the measures used by firefighters to battle the flames in the wildfires in southern France is a chemical retardant that is dropped on forests by planes. It is not without its harms to nature and to humans, but firefighters say it is a vital tool in combatting the spread of deadly fires.
Watch FRANCE 24's report.
Volunteers step up relief efforts in the face of ongoing fires
As firefighters work round the clock battling blazes in southwestern France, those affected by the disaster need shelter and essentiels. Volunteers are at the forefront of relief efforts, stepping up to provide support as fires continue to burn.
Watch FRANCE 24's report.
France needs more Canadair water bombers but building them takes time
As French firefighters struggle to contain the worst wildfires in living memory with just 12 aerial water bombers, production of the iconic aircraft creaks along half a world away in a Canadian factory.
Canadairs are a prime weapon in fighting blazes in rugged, often remote landscapes. But building the specialized aircraft is a time-consuming process, made harder by a nine-year production gap that left the complex supply chain in tatters.
Although manufacturer De Havilland restarted production in 2024, the first delivery -- of just two aircraft -- to France won't happen until at least 2028.
Man suspected of starting ten fires in the Var region jailed
The major wildfire in the Var department, which burned across approximately 4,500 hectares over eight days and threatened several villages, was declared contained on Tuesday evening, and a man suspected of starting about ten fires in the area has been jailed, authorities announced.
âThe fire has been contained, but work continues and vigilance remains essential,â the Var prefecture stated in a press release, noting that nearly 5,000 people had been evacuated from several towns in the central part of the department since the fire broke out last Tuesday.
The fire, which broke out around midday on Tuesday, July 21, in a field in the town of Pontevès, consumed a slope of the Gros Bessillon mountain range and surrounded several iconic villages of the âGreen Provenceââbetween the Mediterranean Sea and the Verdon Gorgesâincluding Cotignac, Correns, and Barjols.
âCertain neighborhoods in Correns and Barjols remain subject to evacuation orders because they are located near or within the fireâs perimeter,â the prefecture stated.
The fire, which has mobilized more than a thousand firefighters daily along with significant aerial resourcesâassisted by numerous volunteersâhad not been spreading for several days but had flared up repeatedly.
The scale of the wildfires in France
France's energy group Engie to give âŹ25 million to help 'regenerate' destroyed forests
The French energy group Engie will contribute 25 million euros to help with âthe reconstruction and sustainable regeneration of destroyed forests,â it announced Tuesday, highlighting the âhuman, environmental, and economic impactâ of the fires, particularly in Gironde and Fontainebleau.
âThis contribution will help support efforts to restore destroyed forest areas and initiatives aimed at strengthening the resilience of natural ecosystems in the face of the effects of climate change,â the company wrote in a press release.
âThis involves, in particular, considering the most suitable tree species, preserving biodiversity, restoring wetlands, ensuring access for emergency services, and protecting and reintroducing wildlife,â Engie added, emphasising that these fires had affected âa part of Franceâs natural heritage.â
Read our report from the ground
NASA infrared imaging used to capture scale of the fires
A photo created on July 27, 2026 combining data from the European Forest Fire Information System (Effis) and NASA's Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) shows a map depicting active wildfires, the progression of burned areas since July 22, 2026, and the distance of the active fires from the city of Bordeaux, southwestern France.
A massive wildfire in France's Gironde department, home to Bordeaux, remained "broadly stable overnight," the local authority said on July 27, 2026.
Photo by Nalini LEPETIT-CHELLA and Sherine ELSAYARY / AFP
'What we are experiencing this year is a wake-up call,' says Bordeaux winemaker
France's scorching summer â has worsened drought conditions, strained water supplies and left vegetation tinder-dry, fuelling wildfires and threatening crops across the country.
In â the vineyards of Margaux, one of Bordeaux's most prestigious appellations, the vines remain intact and wine quality is not expected to suffer from the fires, said Thomas Duroux, âdirector general of Chateau Palmer. But, he said, the warning signs are everywhere.
Young vines, whose roots are not yet deep enough to reach underground moisture, have been âthe first to suffer.
"What we are experiencing this year is a wake-up call. We are âfacing something we have never seen before. We not only have to limit the damage, but also look to the future," said Duroux.
"Our priorities today are water resources â because without water we will no longer be able to plant vines in âconditions like these â and adapting our vineyard so it becomes more resilient to these climatic conditions," he added.
WMO links severe wildfires in Spain and Western Europe to meteorological conditions
Red Cross calls for investing in 'preparedness, climate adaptation' to tackle future fires
France allows fire evacuees from three villages near Bordeaux to return home
People who had to flee three villages near Bordeaux because of a massive wildfire were allowed to return home late Tuesday â as long as they are prepared to evacuate again, if necessary â French authorities said.
The region's top official, prefect Sophie Brocas, said she had lifted the evacuation order imposed during the weekend for the villages of Haillan, Merignac and Eysines.
But the residents must "leave their mobile phones on and rigorously follow safety rules. If they receive an alert, they must leave," she said.
Giant wildfire in France's southwest has brought 14 blazes back to life, officials report
A huge wildfire in southwest France is "stabilised" Tuesday, though officials have counted 14 blazes around it that have come back to life, the region's top official said.
"Today we had 14 renewed blazes, which is a lot, in zones the wildfire had already passed through," regional prefect Sophie Brocas told journalists.
The wildfire itself "remains stabilised... meaning it is not advancing," she added.
'Orange' heatwave alert issued for 16 departments for Wednesday
Sixteen departments, including Gironde and Landes â which are currently battling wildfires â will be placed on an orange heatwave alert on Wednesday, MĂŠtĂŠo-France announced.
There will be âa sharp spike in temperatures over the Gironde and Landes in a particularly challenging situation requiring extra vigilance,â MĂŠtĂŠo-France stated in its 4pm bulletin.
Some 14 other departments in the central-eastern part of the country, from Puy-de-DĂ´me to Savoie, will also be under an orange alert, while 63 others will be under a yellow alert.
Only 17 departments will remain under a green alert.
'Several fires reignited', Gironde authorities report
The Gironde prefecture on Monday afternoon announced that âseveral fires have reignited within areas already burned by fires, particularly in Lège/Grand Crohot and Marcheprime", which are located at the northwestern and southeastern edges of the massive wildfire.
Video footage shows wildfires flaring up again in southwestern France
Yesterday's key developments:
-
French President Emmanuel Macron vowed "to rebuild a different kind of forest" as he visited fire-ravaged southwest France.
-
The fire burning in France's Bordeaux area was "broadly stable overnight" from Sunday, local authorities said.
-
Holiday camp activities were cancelled in the Gironde department of France's Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.
-
Macron held a crisis cabinet meeting on the wildfires Monday morning.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
