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last mo.

Var Wildfire Burns More Than 2,500 Hectares

Firefighters have contained the blaze inside a perimeter with hundreds of hotspots and forecasted mistral winds creating a high risk of reactivation.

Espagne : 32.000 hectares brûlés à 100 km au nord de Madrid, un «espoir» de circonscrire l'incendie d'ici jeudi [Pierre-Philippe MARCOU / AFP]
Incendie : 900 hectares dévorés par les flammes en Gironde, des milliers de personnes évacuées [ROMAIN PERROCHEAU / AFP]
Des habitants observent le ciel illuminé par des incendies de forêt au Porge, en Gironde, aux premières heures du 23 juillet 2026.
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Overview

  • The fire started in a field near Pontevès on Tuesday and raced up the Gros Bessillon, with official estimates between about 2,250 and 2,550 hectares burned as the situation developed.
  • More than 1,000 firefighters and large aerial assets including Canadairs, Dash aircraft and water‑bombing helicopters were mobilized from multiple departments to fight the blaze.
  • Authorities evacuated roughly 300–500 people from Cotignac and nearby villages and opened reception centers for those displaced.
  • Preliminary damage counts report around 50 homes affected with about 10 destroyed, several people treated for light smoke inhalation, and over 2,300 households left without electricity.
  • The fire is contained within a perimeter but not fixed, with many active hotspots and a forecast of strengthening mistral winds that could cause reactivation while the national fire season strains resources.