Overview

• Cooler temperatures and calmer winds have allowed crews to stabilize the wildfire across 15 municipalities, though work continues to fully contain remaining hotspots.
• The blaze has scorched 17,000 hectares of the Corbières massif, claimed one life, injured 13 others (including 11 firefighters), and damaged or destroyed 36 homes.
• Authorities have launched a judicial investigation into the fire’s origin while 2,100 firefighters and multiple aerial tankers stand ready in case of reactivation.
• France relies on a 12-plane Canadair fleet averaging 30 years in service, many grounded by maintenance issues and lack of spare parts since production ended in 2015.
• With only two new water-bombers ordered for 2028 despite President Macron’s 16-plane pledge, unions and deputies are demanding swift procurement in next year’s budget.