France places 27 departments on high wildfire risk

• Fire in Var region burns nearly 200 hectares, damages 10 homes, forces evacuation of around 150 people
  
  

France placed 27 departments at a "high" risk of forest fires on Monday.

The warning came after hot weather and drought fueled blazes in the southern Var region, Corsica and western Loire-Atlantique.

Broadcaster TF1, citing Meteo-France, said the warning covers all departments in the Pays de la Loire region, as well as areas including Gironde, Haute-Garonne, Aude, Herault, Gard, Bouches-du-Rhone, Vaucluse, Drome, Var and Haute-Corse.

Six southern departments also remained under an orange heatwave alert.

In Var, a major fire that began in Taradeau on Sunday afternoon burned nearly 200 hectares of vegetation and affected around 10 houses in the neighboring commune of Les Arcs-sur-Argens.

Around 150 people were evacuated, while approximately 20 remained sheltered at the Helene Vidal school in Les Arcs on Monday.

The blaze, which the town’s mayor Marcel Florent said struck “like a fireball,” mobilized more than 600 firefighters on Sunday evening.

Authorities said the fire had not yet been contained as of late Sunday, although conditions were developing favorably. Fire crews managed to save more than 60 houses, while operations continued overnight to extinguish residual hotspots.

The fire also caused cancellations and delays on rail services in the area.

In Loire-Atlantique, a vegetation fire in the town of Trignac destroyed at least four houses and burned 21.7 hectares, prompting the precautionary evacuation of 92 homes.

The blaze was brought under control after 250 firefighters and 80 vehicles were deployed at the height of the operation. Sixty people were temporarily accommodated at a reception center in the town.

Meanwhile, two fires sparked by lightning a week ago near Albertacce and Corte in Haute-Corse have burned around 400 hectares and continued to spread through mountainous areas that are difficult for emergency crews to access.

Meteo-France said several departments would face a “very high” wildfire risk on Tuesday as the mistral strengthens in southeastern France.