France: Wildfires in southeast France July 24

Event

A large wildfire developed in La Bastidionne, a commune in the Luberon massif in southeast France, on Monday, July 24. The fire has reportedly burned nearly 600 hectares of forest as of Monday evening. Over 350 firefighters are currently being deployed to control the blaze and further reinforcements are expected to arrive in the coming hours. 

The A51 highway between the towns of Manosque and Aix-en-Provence has been closed to all traffic traveling towards Aix-en-Provence. Meanwhile, the train line between Manosque and Meyrargues has also been suspended. It is unclear when normal services will be able to resume.

Other fires have been reported elsewhere in southeastern France, including in the town of Fréjus, in Bastia (Corsica), and in the department of Six-Fours-les-Plages. All of southeast France is currently on high alert due to the heightened risk of fires. Strong wind, potentially reaching 90 km/h (56 mph), is forecast over the next three days.

All access to forests in the departments of Bouches-du-Rhône and Var is prohibited until further notice.

Advice

Individuals are advised to exercise caution when traveling in areas affected by wildfires, to adhere to all instructions issued by the local authorities (e.g. evacuation orders), and to keep abreast of the situation.