Wildfires: Six Southern Departments on Red Alert Due to “Very High” Risk
Southern France on High Alert for Severe Wildfire Risk
A significant portion of southern France is currently on high alert due to a "very high" risk of wildfires, as scorching temperatures persist in the region.
According to the latest bulletin from Météo-France, six departments are under red alert: Pyrénées-Orientales, Aude, Hérault, Gard, Bouches-du-Rhône, and Vaucluse. This alert indicates an exceptional danger level.
In Aude, which has recently experienced a large-scale fire, authorities are warning of an "extreme risk of fire occurrence" — a situation not seen since 2016. Michael Sabot, the deputy director of the departmental fire service, specified that some areas in the department face a "very extreme" threat this weekend, particularly due to strong winds.
Additionally, 14 other departments are under orange alert. These include Rhône, Drôme, Ardèche, Var, Haute-Garonne, Tarn, Aveyron, Lot, Tarn-et-Garonne, Lot-et-Garonne, Dordogne, Haute-Vienne, Charente, and Deux-Sèvres.
On August 5, a major fire in Aude had already claimed the life of a woman, injured several people—including firefighters—and destroyed over 16,000 hectares of vegetation.
