Overview

• The Narbonne wildfire, active since July 7, has scorched over 2,000 hectares, forced closure of the A9 motorway and led to evacuation or confinement orders in nearby hamlets.
• A fire ignited by a vehicle blaze at Pennes-Mirabeau has consumed around 700 hectares, reached Marseille’s northern districts and prompted closure of the A55 motorway and Marseille-Provence airport along with resident evacuations.
• Mistral and tramontane winds gusting up to 90 km/h combined with an early-season drought deficit of nearly 70% have accelerated fire spread and hindered suppression efforts.
• More than 1,070 firefighters, backed by Canadairs, Dash water-bombers and helicopters, are battling the Narbonne front while over 560 personnel tackle the Marseille blaze; several firefighters have suffered minor smoke inhalation.
• The Narbonne public prosecutor has opened a judicial inquiry into the blaze’s origins as infrastructure closures and air quality alerts underscore mounting pressure on regional emergency services.