Wildfire in southern France ‘stabilized’ after burning 1,850 hectares

A wildfire in France’s southern Var region has stabilized but is not yet under control after burning around 1,850 hectares (4,571 acres), local media reported on Monday.

The blaze, which flared up Friday in the commune of Correns, continued to spread over the weekend as firefighters battled many active hotspots across difficult terrain, according to broadcaster BFMTV.

Around 1,500 firefighters, including reinforcements from other French departments and European countries, remain deployed alongside water-bombing aircraft.

Firefighters benefited from humid and relatively calm conditions overnight, but officials warned that stronger, shifting winds and high temperatures could complicate operations later Monday.

“The gusts are expected to be stronger than yesterday and the temperatures high,” a fire department representative said.

Temperatures were forecast to reach 35C (95F) in Chateauvert and as high as 36-37C (96.8-98.6F) elsewhere in the upper Var region.

“Today, our priority missions are the protection of all homes,” said Lt. Romain Sorel, who leads a firefighting detachment from the Drome department. “We will see how the disaster develops during the day. The wind is changing every day.”

Var Prefect Simon Babre said Sunday evening that most evacuation measures had been lifted as crews continued tackling hotspots.

Fatigue is also becoming a concern among crews, with some of them fighting wildfires for nearly two weeks, first in the Gironde department and now in Var.

“Fortunately, there are many reinforcements from outside the department, it will allow us to catch our breath, with fatigue, it's more dangerous,” firefighter Valentin Canale said.

The Var department remained under an orange heat wave alert Monday, while several forested areas were closed because of the severe wildfire risk.

On Saturday, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said that wildfires in France have burned 119,000 hectares (294,000 acres) since the beginning of the year.

French authorities have arrested 375 people, including 142 minors, in connection with fires reported across the country since the beginning of summer.

Of those detained, 36 have been placed in prison after either receiving custodial sentences accompanied by committal warrants or being placed in pre-trial detention, BFMTV reported, citing the Interior Ministry and a source close to the investigations.

Numerous fires have broken out in departments including Gironde, Aude and Seine-et-Marne in recent weeks. While some have been linked to the intense heat wave affecting France, authorities suspect that others may have been deliberately started.

Earlier in July, Nunez said at a news conference that “two-thirds” of the incidents examined constituted “deliberate arson,” while the remainder were accidental.