France wildfire update July 20: homes destroyed as blaze burns 200 hectares in Var

A powerful wildfire in the Var in south-east France continues to burn after starting on Sunday (July 19).

The blaze began around 15:00 and has so far burned around 200 hectares and destroyed at least 10 houses in the woodland around Les Arcs and Taradeau, around 30km from Saint-Tropez. 

Conditions for tackling the fire are better this morning but it is yet to be contained, the Var prefecture announced in an update early on Monday. 

Winds are less powerful than yesterday, which authorities hope will limit the spread of the fire. The blaze currently has two separate strands impacting the area.

The origin remains unknown, but in recent weeks authorities have continually pointed out that the majority of fires in France start due to human activity. At least 60 arrests have been made in relation to blazes.

On Sunday, the Var was on the highest possible red-alert risk for wildfires, with 1,200 firefighters stationed in the area. The prefecture had closed access to several forested areas to limit the risk of blazes.

Evacuations and travel issues

More than 600 firefighters have been mobilised to fight the Var fire with Canadair planes dropping water on the forest and refuelling from the nearby Mediterranean. Helicopters are also being used.

Videos below show the blaze. 

Mayors issued emergency evacuation orders as flames began to encroach on now-destroyed homes. Around 150 people were evacuated.

In a social media post, the mayor of Les Arcs-sur-Argens, Marcel Florent, also issued advice to those unable to evacuate.

“If you cannot evacuate, close your shutters, stay indoors, and signal your presence as soon as you hear the firefighters,” he said.

“We saw a huge black plume with flames shooting out, right above us. And immediately, there was no time for anything but calling the neighbours and warning everyone,” one evacuated resident told FranceInfo.

“I went to check on the horse to calm him down, and I realised we had to evacuate quickly. I left on foot. I don't think we'll have a house to sleep in tonight,” said another. 

Trains between Marseille and Nice were cancelled on Sunday night and continue to be impacted this morning by the fire. Some roads in the area remain closed due to the blaze. 

Another week of fires ahead? 

Elsewhere on Monday, two fires on Corsica that have been ongoing for at least a week continue to burn, as the mountainous terrain makes it difficult for firefighters to tackle the blazes.

Other fires currently ongoing include near Perpignan (Pyrénées-Orientales), Barèges (Hautes-Pyrénées), Argentière-la-Bessée (Hautes-Alpes), and Bordes-Uchentein (Ariège). 

You can see a map of active forest fires (in red) on the map below. For live information about ongoing forest fires in France, visit the feuxdeforet.fr website.

State forecaster Météo France has placed 27 departments on a heightened alert for forest fires today, in the west and south. 

For Tuesday (July 21), this rises to 28, with four – Bouches-du-Rhône, Var, Vaucluse, Gard – on the highest possible red-tier alert. 

This means the risk of blazes are at their highest, due to a combination of high temperatures (the south continues to face heatwave alerts), strong winds, and dried-out vegetation. 

Last week, French authorities confirmed that the country had already seen more damage from wildfires this summer than all of 2025 combined, despite the wildfire season lasting for several more weeks. 

More blazes are expected throughout the week, particularly in the dry, warm, south.