Paris, France. A wildfire burning out of control in southwestern France has forced the evacuation of 10,000 people from two dozen small towns and villages near the Spanish border. Officials said strong winds on Monday were expected to further fan the blaze.
Fire spreads in the French Pyrenees
The fire has scorched about 4,600 hectares in the foothills of the French Pyrenees, according to local prefect Pierre Regnault de la Mothe in a post on X.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told French TV station TF1 that conditions had worsened again on Monday morning. “Today the battle resumes,” he said.
Heatwaves increase wildfire risk
Early summer heatwaves in France and across western Europe in May and June have scorched large areas of land, making them particularly vulnerable to wildfires this year.
Impact on the Tour de France
The Trevillach blaze is burning near the third stage of the Tour de France. Local authorities have closed that leg to the public to allow emergency services easier access to the area.
The race will proceed, but the motorcade of team vehicles that follows the event will be kept to a minimum.
Fire activity across the border in Spain
On the Spanish side of the border, the fire ravaged 2,200 hectares, with 97% of the affected area in the protected natural area of Les Gavarres. Catalan authorities said late on Saturday that the fire was stable and would be completely extinguished during the week.
Police arrested an employee of a company contracted by Catalonia’s regional government on suspicion of having sparked the wildfire by using an angle grinder at the side of a road.
Evacuations in Castellon province
Farther south in Spain, in the eastern province of Castellon, 500 people were evacuated after a wildfire entered the Sierra de Espadan national park, home to a significant cork oak forest.