In brief
A wildfire in the French Pyrenees has scorched 4,600 hectares and forced the evacuation of over 10,000 people from villages near Perpignan. Falling temperatures reached 40°C while winds are whipping across the region, threatening homes and speeding the blaze’s spread. International aid has mobilised, with EU aircraft dispatched to support local firefighters, as the fire has also crossed into neighboring Spain. The growing heat‑wave’s pressure on Europe’s forests continues to raise the risk of high‑impact wildfires, placing an added strain on the Tour de France’s third stage and fuelling urgent calls for public safety.
A wildfire that erupted in the foothills of the French Pyrenees has scorched more than 4,600 hectares of forest, forcing the evacuation of over 10,000 residents from towns near Perpignan and the Spanish border. The blaze reignited during an early‑summer heatwave that raised temperatures to 40 °C across southern France, and now wind gusts threaten to spread the fire further.
"This morning conditions are deteriorating again," Interior Minister Laurent Nunez warned on TF1, adding that firefighting efforts would resume throughout the day. Local prefector Pierre Regnault de‑la‑Mothe noted on X that the flames reached a mere 300 metres from some houses, a rapid spread that “bordered on panic,” according to resident Patrice from Trévillach.
Emergency crews—supported by four aircraft dispatched from Cyprus and Sweden under an EU emergency plan—have deployed across the region. The fire’s reach stretched into Spain, where it destroyed 2,200 hectares of the Les Gavarres natural reserve, and triggered the evacuation of 500 people from the Sierra de Espadan national park.
Tour de France organisers halted access to the finish of stage 3, lasting 195.9 km, to allow emergency vehicles unimpeded travel. Race director Christian Prudhomme urged fans not to crowd the final 40 km, emphasising that “an exceptional fire calls for exceptional measures.”
The heatwave’s legacy is stark: Central Europe recorded the country‑wide hottest day on record on 24 June, and excess deaths in France, Belgium and the Netherlands climbed sharply. Climate scientists point to Europe’s rapid warming—twice the global average—as a driver of more severe heatwaves, drier summers and increased wildfire risks.
For those displaced by the evacuation, the platform here allows you to share your experience and connect with fellow evacuees.
