Southern France Wildfires

In the first days of July 2026, multiple large wildfires broke out across southern France following a deadly European heatwave and prolonged drought. Three major blazes near the Mediterranean port city of Marseille — including fires in Rognac and Lançon-Provence — scorched a combined 1,210 hectares, with the largest fire consuming roughly 900 hectares in the Aude department near the Spanish border. In Frejus in the Var department, more than 2,000 people were evacuated from six campsites, and nearly 3,000 more were evacuated from campsites in Sainte-Marie-la-Mer and Canet-en-Roussillon in the Pyrénées-Orientales region. Approximately 2,000 firefighters were mobilized nationally, with 800 dedicated to the largest blaze, supported by water-bombing aircraft. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu convened a crisis meeting in Marseille as Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez coordinated response with regional prefectures. Temperatures near 30°C combined with strong wind gusts drove flames through low, tinder-dry vegetation. Humanitarian organizations began preparing shelter and relief support for displaced families and campers, many of whom lost belongings as tourist accommodations along the Côte d'Azur burned.