Conflict · France heatwave · ArchiefWildfires Rage in Southern France: 150 Evacuated, 10 Homes Destroyed as Heatwave Fuels BlazesGeschreven 7 september 2026 om 21:22 UTCKijkenTranscript0:00Good evening. Fast-moving wildfires are0:02tearing through southern France tonight,0:04forcing hundreds from their homes and0:06destroying entire properties as a0:07blistering heatwave grips the0:09Mediterranean coast. The fire broke out0:11Sunday afternoon in the Var region0:13between the towns of Taradeau and Les0:15Arcs. Right now, over 600 firefighters0:18are on the scene, backed by0:19water-bombing aircraft, battling flames0:22that have already consumed around 2000:24hectares. This map shows the affected0:26area of the Var department between0:28Taradeau and Les Arcs, where the fire0:30erupted Sunday afternoon. Meteo France0:32has placed Var and neighboring0:34Bouches-du-Rhône at red level extreme0:35fire risk with temperatures reaching 41°0:38C.0:39In total, 27 French departments are at0:41high or very high fire risk tonight.0:43More than 600 firefighters are deployed0:45with roughly 100 firefighting vehicles.0:48Aerial support includes two Canadair0:49CL-415 water bombers, three0:52water-bombing helicopters, and one Dash0:53firefighting aircraft. One firefighter0:56has suffered a minor hand burn. Crews0:57have managed to establish a perimeter,0:59but the fire is not yet fully1:00extinguished. The human toll is1:02mounting. Around 150 residents have been1:05evacuated from Taradeau and Les Arcs,1:07gathered in community halls and a local1:09school. 10 homes have been destroyed by1:11the flames, though firefighters managed1:13to save approximately 60 others. 151:15vehicles have also been burned. Adding1:17to the chaos, a high-speed TGV train1:20traveling from Nice was stranded at Les1:22Arcs station with 800 passengers on1:24board after rail traffic was suspended1:26due to smoke on the tracks. Passengers1:28were held at the station for hours as1:30the fire burned nearby. Here is a1:31breakdown of the key numbers from the1:33Var fire. 200 hectares burned, more than1:36600 firefighters on the ground, 10 homes1:38destroyed, and 800 train passengers1:40stranded. The numbers paint a picture of1:43a fast-moving and destructive blaze, but1:45this is not an isolated incident. France1:47has burned nearly 40,000 hectares since1:50the start of 2026. That is more than all1:53of last year combined, and it already1:55surpasses the record 2022 season at the1:57same point in the calendar. This chart1:59shows the scale of the crisis. The 20262:02fire season has already consumed nearly2:0440,000 hectares, outpacing the full 20252:07season and the record-setting 20222:09season at the same point. And with a new2:11heat wave expected to hit Southern2:13Europe starting Tuesday, officials fear2:15conditions could worsen. Interior2:17Minister Laurent Nuñez has confirmed2:19that 111 people have been arrested2:21nationwide on suspicion of arson. He2:23warned the fire threat remains fairly2:25severe across Southeastern and2:26Southwestern France. 90% of fires are2:29human-caused, he said, calling for2:31vigilance as the heatwave persists.2:33Meanwhile, separate fires are burning in2:35Corsica. In the Haute-Corse region near2:38the town of Albertacce, approximately2:40326 hectares have gone up in flames.2:42Fire crews are stretched thin across2:44multiple fronts as Southern Europe2:46braces for yet another surge of extreme2:48heat expected to arrive Tuesday. In2:50Corsica, roughly 326 hectares have2:52burned near Albertacce. The fire threat2:55across the French Mediterranean remains2:57serious, and with the heatwave2:59intensifying, the coming days will be3:01critical for firefighters on all fronts.Lees het artikelTijdlijn van het verhaalHeyDexDe korte video ↗
