Forest fires engulf France
Associated Press – July 2, 2026 / 6:15 am | History: 622742
Photo: X.com – Prefect Vara
Firefighters in southern France battle a forest fire on July 1.
Wildfires raged across southern France on Thursday after weeks of dry weather and record temperatures across the country, devastating large swaths of land.
According to local authorities, the fire was most widespread in the Aude and Hérault regions, where up to 800 firefighters and 150 vehicles were deployed to extinguish the fire, which covered an area of more than 900 hectares.
Further fires have broken out in the neighboring region of Marseille, where two fires were brought under control but not yet extinguished on Thursday.
Alain Buquet, prefect of Aude, said the fire service would be supported by two more bomber aircraft, bringing the total number of Canadair aircraft on the scene to four.
“The idea is to quickly bring the fire under control as the temperature rises and the wind increases,” he told France Info channel.
Aude is regularly hit by wildfires and last year firefighters contained France’s largest wildfire in the region in decades.
High temperatures are expected in the coming days and the drought is expected to continue, with no rain forecast following an early heat wave in May and the one that hit France in late June. Plants and vegetation are experiencing severe water shortages, fueling fires, and strong winds are blowing across the Mediterranean region.