Wildfire Forces Mass Evacuations in Southwest France

ILLE-SUR-TET-A fast-moving wildfire in southwestern France has forced the evacuation of about 10,000 people from two dozen towns and villages near the Spanish border, with officials warning that strong winds on Monday were expected to intensify the blaze and complicate firefighting efforts.

The fire has burned approximately 4,600 hectares in the foothills of the French Pyrenees, according to local prefect Pierre Regnault de la Mothe. Authorities said weather conditions had worsened overnight, increasing the risk of further spread.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the firefighting effort was entering a critical phase as deteriorating conditions threatened to fuel the flames. Emergency services remained deployed across the affected area as crews worked to contain the fire and protect nearby communities.

The wildfire comes after early summer heatwaves across France and much of western Europe left vegetation exceptionally dry, increasing the region’s vulnerability to large wildfires.

The blaze near Trevillach is also affecting the Tour de France, with the fire burning close to the route of the race’s third stage. Local authorities have closed public access to that section to ensure emergency vehicles can operate freely, while organizers said the race would continue with a reduced convoy of team support vehicles.

Across the border in Spain, Catalan authorities said a separate wildfire had burned around 2,200 hectares, with 97 percent of the affected land located within the protected Les Gavarres natural area. Officials said the fire had been stabilized by late Saturday and was expected to be fully extinguished during the week.

Police in Catalonia arrested an employee of a company contracted by the regional government on suspicion of accidentally starting the wildfire while using an angle grinder beside a road. Authorities are continuing their investigation into the cause of the blaze.

Farther south, in Spain’s eastern province of Castellon, about 500 people were evacuated after another wildfire spread into Sierra de Espadan National Park, an area known for one of the country’s most significant cork oak forests.

The series of wildfires underscores the growing challenges facing southern Europe during periods of prolonged heat and dry weather, with emergency services across France and Spain remaining on high alert as adverse conditions persist.