Map shows updated forest fire risk areas in France
Strong winds in the south increase danger, prompting authorities to close several areas to public
Vegetation in the south remains dry after early heatwaves this summer
Kirsanov Valeriy Vladimirovich / Shutterstock
Departments in the south of France are facing forest fire alerts in the coming days as high winds bring the potential for blazes to spread rapidly.
The Bouches-du-Rhône and Vaucluse departments were given a red-level warning – the highest possible – from state forecaster Météo France for a risk of fires today (July 17).
This means that conditions present the highest possible danger for wildfires to start and spread. Several forested areas and massifs in the departments have been closed off to the public.
Around 90% of wildfires begin due to human activity, be it intentional or accidental, which is why precautions are in place.
Information on the exact areas closed is updated daily and available on prefecture websites.
Several other departments in the south face heightened warning over the risk of fires, particularly along the Mediterranean and the path of France’s powerful southerly winds.
The map, updated daily, can be found on the Météo France website.
Risks remain despite stable temperatures
While temperatures have dropped compared to the start of the month, extremely low levels of rainfall and the lingering effects of June’s heatwaves mean vegetation remains dry.
This, combined with the return of the Mistral and Tramontane winds (reaching up to 70km/h), creates an unstable situation that can quickly cause fires to spread.
A major fire in the Bouches-du-Rhône department last week started after a car on the motorway caught fire.
The driver parked next to a tree, with sparks from the engine quickly setting it ablaze.
Winds pushed leaves, flames, and embers along the motorway, rapidly igniting hundreds of hectares of land.
In some cases, fires can spread at a rate of nearly one kilometre per minute during high winds.
The Bouches-du-Rhône department has stationed more than 500 firefighters at around 30 strategic points where it believes forest fires are most likely to occur, in an attempt to stamp out any that begin.
A further 500 firefighters will remain on alert at stations across the department to reinforce these in the event of any outbreak, and three sets of firefighters from nearby departments facing lower risks are also ready to be deployed if needed.
