Wildfire In Southern France Forces 10,000 People From Their Homes
Early summer heatwaves in France and across western Europe in May and June have parched vast areas of land, making them particularly vulnerable to wildfires this year.
Ille-Sur-Tet, France : A wildfire burning out of control in southern France has forced the evacuation of over 10,000 people from two dozen small towns and villages near the Spanish border, and officials said on Monday strong winds would further fan the flames.
The European Union said on Monday it was sending four waterbombing aircraft to France from Cyprus and Sweden, and more than 100 firefighters, to help emergency teams in Trevillach near the city of Perpignan.
"Europe stands with France," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on X.
A Canadair CL-415 water bombing aircraft of France's Civil Security services drops water on a wildfire in the southern France departmennt of Pyrenees-Orientales where 700 hundred firefighters backed by special aircraft battled to control a "gigantic" blaze spreading in a hard-to-reach remote area, with more than 10,000 local residents evacuated, near the town of Bouleternerre on July 6, 2026. Wildfires raged across southern Europe, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes and prompting officials to ban spectators from a stage of the storied Tour de France cycling race. (Photo by Jc Milhet / AFP)
A Canadair CL-415 water-bombing aircraft of France's Civil Security services drops water on a wildfire in the southern France departmennt of Pyrenees-Orientales where 700 hundred firefighters backed by special aircraft battled to control a "gigantic" blaze spreading in a hard-to-reach remote area, with more than 10,000 local residents evacuated, near the town of Carlencas et Levas on July 6, 2026. Wildfires raged across southern Europe, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes and prompting officials to ban spectators from a stage of the storied Tour de France cycling race. (Photo by Gabriel BOUYS / AFP)
A Dash Q400-MRE Fireguard aircraft of the civil security drops fire retardant over a wildfire raging in the southern France department of Pyrenees-Orientales where 700 hundred firefighters backed by special aircraft battled to control a "gigantic" blaze spreading in a hard-to-reach remote area, with more than 10,000 local residents evacuated, near the town of Bouleternerre on July 6, 2026. Wildfires raged across southern Europe, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes and prompting officials to ban spectators from a stage of the storied Tour de France cycling race. (Photo by Jc Milhet / AFP) A Canadair CL-415 water bombing aircraft of France's Civil Security services flies over a wildfire in the southern France departmennt of Pyrenees-Orientales where 700 hundred firefighters backed by special aircraft battled to control a "gigantic" blaze spreading in a hard-to-reach remote area, with more than 10,000 local residents evacuated, near the town of Bouleternerre on July 6, 2026. Wildfires raged across southern Europe, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes and prompting officials to ban spectators from a stage of the storied Tour de France cycling race. (Photo by Jc Milhet / AFP)
The blaze has injured 16 people, including four firefighters, and scorched some 4,600 hectares (11,367 acres) in the foothills of the French Pyrenees, local prefect Pierre Regnault de la Mothe said in a post on X.
Early summer heatwaves in France and across western Europe in May and June have parched vast areas of land, making them particularly vulnerable to wildfires this year.
The Trevillach blaze was burning near the third stage of the Tour de France, leading to its closure to the public on Monday to allow firefighters easy access to the area, according to Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme.
Firefighters fight against a wildfire raging in the southern France department of Pyrenees-Orientales near the town of Bouleternere, near Perpignan on July 6, 2026. 700 firefighters backed by special aircraft battled to control a "gigantic" blaze spreading in a hard-to-reach remote area near Ille-sur-Tet. Wildfires raged across southern Europe, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes and prompting officials to ban spectators from a stage of the storied Tour de France cycling race. (Photo by Jc Milhet / AFP)
This photograph shows a plume of smoke from a wildfire seen from the vineyards of Montalba-le-Chateau, in the Pyrenees-Orientales department, southern France on July 5, 2026. A wildfire broke out on July 4 at around 19h30 (1730 GMT) in a hard-to-reach massif near Trevillach, in the Pyrenees-Orientales department of southern France and spread rapidly overnight. More than 10,000 residents are currently being evacuated as the wildfire spreads rapidly, having burned around 2,000 hectares. (Photo by Jc Milhet / AFP) A firefighter sprays water on smoke plumes to prevent the fire from reigniting as a wildfire rages in the southern France department of Pyrenees-Orientales in the town of Ille-sur-Tet, near Perpignan on July 6, 2026. 700 firefighters backed by special aircraft battled to control a "gigantic" blaze spreading in a hard-to-reach remote area near Ille-sur-Tet. Wildfires raged across southern Europe, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes and prompting officials to ban spectators from a stage of the storied Tour de France cycling race. (Photo by Jean-Christophe MILHET / AFP)
The motorcade of vehicles that follows the race was also kept to a minimum, he said. The stage, which is 196 km (122 miles) long, began in the Spanish city of Granollers and ends in Les Angles, in the Pyrenees-Orientales region of France.
Europe is warming at more than twice the global average, the World Meteorological Organization has said, making prolonged heat episodes increasingly likely.
Temperatures are forecast to once again hit 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in southwest France this week, with Portugal and Spain also baking under another heatwave, but are unlikely to reach the record highs seen in June.
This photograph shows a wildfire burning in the Aspres region forcing the evacuation of many villages, near Millas, in the Pyrenees-Orientales department, southern France on July 5, 2026. A wildfire broke out on July 4 at around 19h30 (1730 GMT) in a hard-to-reach massif near Trevillach, in the Pyrenees-Orientales department of southern France and spread rapidly overnight. More than 10,000 residents are currently being evacuated as the wildfire spreads rapidly, having burned around 2,000 hectares. (Photo by Jc Milhet / AFP) A wildfire rages in the southern France departmennt of Pyrenees-Orientales where 700 hundred firefighters backed by special aircraft battled to control a "gigantic" blaze spreading in a hard-to-reach remote area, with more than 10,000 local residents evacuated, near the town of Bouleternerre on July 6, 2026. Wildfires raged across southern Europe, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes and prompting officials to ban spectators from a stage of the storied Tour de France cycling race. (Photo by Jc Milhet / AFP)
On the Spanish side of the border, the fire ravaged 2,200 ha — 97% of them in the protected natural area of Les Gavarres — although regional authorities said over the weekend that it was stable and would be completely extinguished during the week.
Police have arrested an employee of a company contracted by Catalonia's regional government who is suspected of having sparked the wildfire by using an angle grinder at the side of a road.
South of Catalonia, in the eastern Castellon province, 500 people were evacuated after a wildfire entered the Sierra de Espadan national park, home to a significant cork oak forest.
Portugal has suffered hundreds of blazes in the last few days, with the biggest already burning through 10,000 ha of land - the size of around 14,000 football pitches.
