Latest on major forest fires in Brittany and south of France

Three wildfires began yesterday across France, with two still ongoing this morning. 

Ranging from Brittany to the Mediterranean coast, the cause of the fires remains unknown. 

Our map below shows where the fires are located.

No fatalities have been reported, but two firefighters have been lightly injured. Evacuation and stay-home orders were issued yesterday in the south.

A major wildfire near Marseille that began yesterday afternoon continues to burn. 

The fire began in Martigues (Bouches-du-Rhône) around 19:00, and quickly spread due to high winds. 

It is not yet unknown what caused the fire, but close to 1,000 firefighters, 300 trucks and nine anti-fire aircraft were scrambled to tackle it and avoid a repeat of last week’s devastating fires in the department. 

A stay-home measure for residents in the Martigues, Saint-Julien and Les Ventrons communes remains in place this morning due to the continuing risks of the fire.

It has not been put out completely but “the situation is improving significantly, due in particular to the humidity level rising to 40% and the wind changing direction,” the Bouches-du-Rhône prefecture said this morning. 

Over 240 hectares of land in the area has burned.

Blaze put out in Brittany, still raging in Ardèche

In the Ardèche department, a second wildfire that began last night also continues to burn, having destroyed at least 40 hectares and threatening to burn 100 more. 

The blaze began in the Valgorge commune on the side of the RD24 road, however it remains unclear what started it. 

Dense foliage in the area caused the quick spread, but the prefecture said that today’s weather conditions are likely to cause the flames to quickly die down. 

Around 100 firefighters are in place with two water aircraft. 

In the north-west of France, around 120 hectares burned after a fire sparked in the Brocéliande forest (Morbihan) on Thursday afternoon. 

Now under control, the blaze did not cause any injuries or evacuations but did spread north into the Ille-et-Vilaine department. 

Firefighter units from across Brittany combined to put out the fire on Thursday evening, and controlled the blaze overnight at key strategic points. 

State forecaster Météo France had placed the Bouches-du-Rhône at the highest warning level for forest fire risk yesterday in its daily bulletin, due to a mix of weather conditions and dry vegetation. 

In today’s forecast, four departments in the south are at the second-highest warning level for forest fires.