2026 France wildfires

2026 France wildfires
Wildfire at the Forest of Fontainebleau
Date
  • 2026
Statistics
Total area115,000 ha (280,000 acres)
Impacts
Deaths0
Evacuated200,000
Structures destroyed240
Map

In 2026, wildfires affected France, particularly in the north and south of the country, burning 115,000 ha (280,000 acres).[1][2] The wildfire season being classified as the worst in the country since 1949.[3]

Background

France was affected by the 2026 European heatwaves, which contributed to a severe wildfire season.[4] On 23 June, the European Union recorded the hottest day since measurements began in 1947,[5] and emergency services and military forces were placed on wildfire alert.[6]

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu stated that climate change had caused the wildfire season to come earlier.[7] Several climate scientists linked the severity of the heatwaves to global heating,[8] while UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell said the heatwave "has the fingerprints of the climate crisis all over it".[9]

The heatwaves are thought to have been in part caused by the El Niño that developed in 2026.[10][11][12]

Timeline

On 2 July, a large wildfire in Aude and Hérault, saw 800 firefighters and 150 vehicles deployed.[13] Three thousand people were evacuated.[14]

On 5 July 70 residents of Bezouce were evacuated while[15] 10,000 people were evacuated due to wildfires near the Spanish border.[16] Over 11,000 acres was burned.[17]

By 13 July 23 wildfires were burning across the country, with 916 reported over the last 30 days.[18] On 13 July, firefighters tackled a large blaze at Fontainebleau forest.[19] Nine-hundred homes were evacuated.[19] The fires were fuelled by strong winds.[20] Evacuations of people were carried out.[21] Water from the River Seine was used to help the efforts.[22]

On 22 July, it was released that between 17 June and 2 July there were 5,764 more deaths than usual which was thought to be a result of the heatwaves.[23][24] This illustrates the unprecedented level of heat which contributed to dryness. The UN released that "Europe also saw widespread dryness that, together with extreme heat, contributed to wildfire activity, particularly in the Iberian Peninsula and southern France".[25]

On 23 July, over 20,000 people were evacuated to escape wildfires near Bordeaux.[26][27] Evacuations were declared in the Gironde department,[28] with authorities ordering a complete evacuation of around 40,000 people from the Cap Ferret peninsula.[29] By 24 July, France requested the activation of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM). This will include two Croatian Canadair water bombers, two Portuguese Air Tractor aircraft and two heavy Black Hawk helicopters from the Czech Republic and Slovakia. [30] Around 250,000 people were evacuated in the Gironde and Landes departments.[31] The Gironde wildfire is the largest wildfires in France since the 1949 Landes forest fire[32]

On 26 July, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told France 24 that "France is currently battling 30 to 40 wildfires daily", it was also announced that over 115,000 hectares had been burnt.[2] Furthermore, the fire was near Bordeaux, with fires in nearby coastal towns such as Le Porge. Nuñez described the situation as "unfavourable".[33]

On 27 July, the mayor of Marcheprime in Gironde said that the situation was reassuring due to rain overnight, he added that the town should be vigilant of winds.[34] It was reported that the fire was 15 km (9.3 mi) away from Bordeaux.[35]

Notable fires

Gironde

By 25 July, the Gironde Wildfire, had burnt close to 20,000 ha (49,000 acres) and was near Bordeaux.[36] On the 27 July, BBC News said that the fire had burnt more than 42,000 hectares.[37]

The fire began to generate its own weather, with pyrocumulonimbus ("fire thunderstorm") effects creating lightning and starting additional fires. This is an extremely rare event, frequent in North America and Australia, but never before seen in France.[38]

Landes

The Biscarrosse (or Landes) wildfire burnt through more than 3,500 ha (8,600 acres) and more than 30,000 people were evacuated.[39][40]

Fontainebleau

The Fontainebleau forest fires burnt through more than 2,000 ha (4,900 acres) and came near the capital Paris.[41]

Gros Bessillon, Var

The Gros Bessillon fire burnt through 6,300 ha (15,500 acres) spanning across 22 days, with 70 homes impacted of which 42 totally burned down.[42] [43]

Government responses

The Airbus A400M Atlas is also a military transport plane.

On 23 July 2026, the French Government announced that it would use the Airbus A400M Atlas military aircraft as a large Air Tanker (with the Airbus firefighting kit) with up to 20 tonnes of fire retardant inside it.[44][45] The French military said that the certifications of the crews for the new system began on 20 July. In an interview with BFM TV, Government Spokesperson Maud Bregeon said the plane would be ready by the end of July.[46] The technology that the French Government will use for this was first tested by Airbus in 2025. Airbus says that the system is a Roll on Roll off system which is controlled by the rear ramp of the plane. The system requires water/retardant to be pumped into the aircraft at an airport or base.[47] Since 25 July, the A400M Atlas has been in use in trying to slow or stop the fire near Bordeaux.[48]

International support

France activated the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism to request international assistance. Several countries deployed firefighting resources, including Romania, which had a pre-positioned ground firefighting contingent in southern France,[49] while Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden, and Turkey sent firefighting aircraft or helicopters.[50][51]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Sands, Leo; Barragán, Carlos; Raj, Hari; Livni, Ephrat; Porter, Catherine; Livni, Ephrat; Livni, Ephrat; Barragán, Carlos; Landler, Mark (26 July 2026). "France and Spain Wildfires Live Updates: Extreme Heat and Strong Winds Fuel Fast-Moving Fires". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Wildfires have scorched 115,000 hectares across France this year, interior minister says". France 24. 25 July 2026. Archived from the original on 26 July 2026. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  3. ↑ "France's devastating fires now 'under control', says PM". France 24. 26 July 2026. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  4. ↑ "Wildfires spread across southern France, as heatwave reignites forest concerns". RFI. 2 July 2026. Archived from the original on 10 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  5. ↑ "Heatwave affecting Western Europe in the third decade of June 2026". EU Space Support Office. 24 June 2026. Archived from the original on 28 July 2026. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  6. ↑ "France bans some outdoor drinking as heat wave threatens Europe". CBS News. 21 June 2026. Archived from the original on 19 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  7. ↑ "Wildfires rage in southern France, 3,000 people evacuated". France 24. 2 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  8. ↑ Chen, Edward (26 June 2026). "Europe's record heatwave: does the continent have a new climate?". Nature. 655 (8122): 288–290. doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02046-x. ISSN 1476-4687. PMID 42362898.
  9. ↑ "UN Climate Chief: "Europe's savage heatwave has the fingerprints of the climate crisis all over it"". UNFCCC =. Archived from the original on 26 June 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  10. ↑ Garric, Audrey (21 July 2026). "Climate scientists aren't surprised by summer's record heat: 'We've entered a dangerous zone'". Le Monde (in French). ISSN 1950-6244. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  11. ↑ "Western Europe has hottest June on record". World Meteorological Organization. 23 June 2026. Archived from the original on 26 July 2026. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  12. ↑ "Potentially historic El Niño to come, analysis shows humanitarian toll – Joint Research Centre". joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu. 28 May 2026. Archived from the original on 26 July 2026. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  13. ↑ "Wildfires scorch southern France as heat and drought fuel blazes". AP News. 2 July 2026. Archived from the original on 19 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  14. ↑ "Race to control wildfires in southern France – in pictures". The Guardian. 3 July 2026. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  15. ↑ Beaudouin, Agathe (6 July 2026). "'What comes next will be just as grueling': Villagers remain anxious after wildfire in southern France". Le Monde (in French). ISSN 1950-6244. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  16. ↑ Dimou, Alexandre (6 July 2026). "Wildfire in southern France forces 10,000 people from their homes". Reuters.
  17. ↑ Odenheimer, Natan (6 July 2026). "Wildfires Force Evacuation of Thousands in Southwest France". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  18. ↑ "MAPS: Where are all the wildfires and warnings in France right now?". The Local France. 8 July 2026. Archived from the original on 19 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  19. 1 2 Chrisafis, Angelique; Jones, Sam (13 July 2026). "Firefighting planes scrambled from south of France to tackle huge wildfire near Paris". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  20. ↑ "Wildfire near Paris tears through Fontainebleau forest". dw.com. Archived from the original on 19 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  21. ↑ Turnbull, Alex; Cetinic, Oleg; NAISHADHAM, SUMAN (13 July 2026). "Fire in Fontainebleau forest near Paris triggers evacuations; 10 still missing in Spanish wildfire". AP News. Archived from the original on 19 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  22. ↑ Guy, Jack (13 July 2026). "Planes scoop up water from River Seine to battle wildfire near Paris". CNN. Archived from the original on 13 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  23. ↑ "'Unprecedented': France records 5,764 excess deaths during June–July heatwave period". France 24. 22 July 2026. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  24. ↑ Henley, Jon (22 July 2026). "France records more than 5,700 excess deaths during June heatwave". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  25. ↑ "The United Nations". United Nations. 23 July 2026. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  26. ↑ Henley, Jon (23 July 2026). "Thousands of tourists among those evacuated amid intense wildfire in France". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  27. ↑ "Wildfire sees 12,000 residents and tourists evacuated in south-west France". RFI. 23 July 2026. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  28. ↑ "More than 15,000 people evacuated from homes as wildfire spreads in France". Sky News. 23 July 2026. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  29. ↑ Smith, Cachella (24 July 2026). "France orders evacuation of tourist spot as hundreds flee wildfires by boat". BBC News. Archived from the original on 24 July 2026. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  30. ↑ "Incendies : la France demande l'activation du mécanisme de protection civile de l'UE". Euronews (in French). 24 July 2026. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
  31. ↑ "More than 300,000 flee wildfires in France and Spain". BBC. Archived from the original on 25 July 2026. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  32. ↑ "Fires in Europe: latest developments". France 24. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  33. ↑ "Firefighters battle France wildfire as tens of thousands evacuated near Bordeaux". www.bbc.com. 26 July 2026. Archived from the original on 26 July 2026. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  34. ↑ "BBC News live updates". BBC News. 27 July 2026. Archived from the original on 27 July 2026. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  35. ↑ "BBC News live updates". BBC News. 27 July 2026. Archived from the original on 27 July 2026. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  36. ↑ Baumard, Maryline (25 July 2026). "Over 141,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes in the southwest as a dangerous fire that has burned almost 20,000 hectares of forest threatens to reach the city of Bordeaux". Le Monde. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  37. ↑ "Live updates on Wildfires". BBC News. 26 July 2026. Archived from the original on 28 July 2026. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  38. ↑ Adammson, Thomas (27 July 2026). "French wildfire created a monster cloud, unleashing lightning that ignited more fires". AP News. Archived from the original on 28 July 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  39. ↑ "Face aux incendies, la situation est critique à Biscarrosse". Franceinfo (in French). 25 July 2026. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  40. ↑ "France: Landes Wildfire Burns 3,600 Hectares Near Biscarrosse". Reuters. 26 July 2026. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  41. ↑ "Fontainebleau forest fire near Paris 'contained' but not extinguished". France 24. 14 July 2026. Archived from the original on 27 July 2026. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  42. ↑ "Incendies : le feu est fixé dans le Var après dix-huit jours de mobilisation des pompiers ; retrouvez les dernières informations". {{cite news}}: |first= missing |last= (help)
  43. ↑ "Incendies dans le Var : le feu du Gros Bessillon maîtrisé après 22 jours de mobilisation des pompiers, mais pas encore éteint". {{cite news}}: |first= missing |last= (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  44. ↑ "A400M Atlas : une capacité complémentaire dans la lutte contre les feux de forêts". Ministère des Armées et des Anciens combattants (in French). 24 July 2026. Archived from the original on 26 July 2026. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  45. ↑ ""L'équivalent de trois Canadair" : l'avion militaire d'Airbus déployé en urgence pour lutter contre les mégafeux de forêt". France 3 Occitanie (in French). 23 July 2026. Archived from the original on 26 July 2026. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  46. ↑ "Pour lutter contre les incendies, l'avion militaire A400M sera déployé "d'ici fin juillet", annonce Maud Bregeon". BFM BUSINESS (in French). 23 July 2026. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  47. ↑ "Airbus A400M Firefighting Kit completes a successful test campaign in France". Airbus. Archived from the original on 25 July 2026. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  48. ↑ Baumard, Maryline (26 July 2026). "How the A400M military transport plane was fitted with a temporary tank to fight wildfires in France". Le Monde (in French). ISSN 1950-6244. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  49. ↑ Marica, Irina (3 July 2026). "Romanian firefighters complete first wildfire mission in France". Romania Insider. Archived from the original on 28 July 2026. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  50. ↑ "EU sends planes and firefighters as wildfires ravage France and Spain". European Commission. 27 July 2026. Archived from the original on 27 July 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  51. ↑ "France orders total evacuation of Cap Ferret peninsula as wildfires rage". Reuters. 24 July 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
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