Wildfire in southern France contained: Firefighters

• A wildfire in southern France's Var region, covering 2,550ha, has been contained but still has active hot spots.
• Around 1,000 firefighters and water aircraft fought the blaze, which forced 400 people to evacuate.
• Dry conditions and early heatwaves have caused an intense 2026 wildfire season with frequent outbreaks across France.

PONTEVES, France – A blaze that raced through wooded hills in southern France, forcing hundreds from their homes and devouring an area twice the size of London’s Heathrow airport, has been brought under control, firefighters said on July 22.

“For the moment it’s been contained in its perimeter, meaning it’s not spreading much,” regional fire chief Eric Grohin told reporters of the fire that erupted the previous day in the Var region.

“Nevertheless, we still have many hot spots, flames in numerous places, so we are being very vigilant this morning.”

The fire erupted on July 21 in the Var region and spread at an unexpectedly fast pace, forcing some 400 people to evacuate and devouring 2,550ha, an area roughly twice the size of London’s Heathrow airport.

Nearly 1,000 firefighters and specialised water aircraft battled to contain the blaze in the region that lies along France’s Mediterranean coast between the cities of Marseille and Nice.

Very dry conditions in the area have caused an extreme forest-fire risk, according to the French weather service Meteo-France.

Fuelled by repeated heatwaves and drought, the 2026 wildfire season began earlier than usual, and firefighters have been battling near-daily outbreaks across France in recent weeks. AFP