Due to a new heat wave sweeping France, Météo-France issued a red alert for forest fires in seven departments of Occitanie and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur on Sunday, July 5, 2026. Firefighters are battling multiple active outbreaks, particularly in the Eastern Pyrenees, Gard and Drome.
Up to 26 flashes are declared simultaneously. In the south of France, the fire season is starting “a month early”, Laurent Nunez warned on Friday, July 3. A fact that is not disputed by Météo-France, which decided this Sunday, July 5, for the third day in a row to place the Eastern Pyrenees, Aude, Hérault, Gard, Vaucluse and Bouches-du-Rhône on red alert with a “very high risk” of fire and to add the Ardèche to the list.
Thus, the risky sectors of the seven departments affected by the red alert are closed, and the slightest cigarette butt or the slightest spark can cause a fire. Individual responsibility, which the Minister of the Interior emphasized the day before: “9 out of 10 fires are of human origin, our fellow citizens really need to be extremely careful.”
Hundreds of firefighters mobilized
On Sunday, July 5, several departments are still engulfed in flames. Since last night, concern has focused on the Eastern Pyrenees, where more than 1,650 hectares of land have burned near the town of Trevillac, 35 km west of Perpignan. Under the influence of a strong tramontane wind, the fire intensified again on the right and left flanks. Residents of isolated houses in the areas between Rodes and Montalba-le-Chateau were evacuated to two town halls, just to take shelter in case the fight of about 700 firefighters currently involved got out of control. In total, the evacuation gradually spread to the entire Aspres massif, and then to the city of Ile-sur-Tête. About 10,000 people were evacuated or asked to leave their homes. A firefighter and a local resident also found themselves in an emergency situation. Firefighters, supported by nearly 200 vehicles and significant air assets, continue to battle the fire. At the end of the day, the Prefect of the Eastern Pyrenees also announced that Stage 3 of the Tour de France would be retained on Monday, but under an adapted system. The promotional caravan will not travel along the French portion of the route and the public is asked to stay off the route to limit the mobilization of law enforcement and emergency services.
In Gard, a fire broke out late in the morning in Ledenone, covering about 200 hectares. Fanned by the wind, it led to the isolation of residents of Bezus, Saint-Gervasy and Cabrières, as well as the closure of the A9 motorway between Remoulins and Nîmes-Est. Near the Ledenon route, 600 people were sheltered and then evacuated. Massive mobilized firefighters are still trying to contain the blaze, which is being called the department’s biggest fire of the season, Midi Libre reported.
Fixed spectacular fire in Oda.
On the Drome side, a large fire that broke out two days ago continues to spread, consuming more than 300 hectares of mountainous terrain, difficult to access but uninhabited. The prefecture indicates that the development of the fire at night under the influence of the wind was unfavorable, although its development slowed down in the morning. More than 300 firefighters are still mobilized to try to contain it.
Finally, in Oda on Saturday, July 4, a large forest fire was recorded, which in recent days has destroyed more than 900 hectares. However, about 150 firefighters were still mobilized around the fire at midday to “suppress” the last flames. This weekend the Mistral and Tramontana will continue to blow over the pine forests, with wind speeds of 70 km/h expected, BFMTV reports. According to Météo-France, the situation combines with maximum temperatures of 35 to 37°C, with peaks reaching 38-40°C in the former Languedoc-Roussillon.
published July 5 at 1:15 pm by Mina Peltier 6Medias with L’Express