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More evacuated as forest fire reignites in southern France

A forest fire in France's southern Aveyron region has reignited, sparking the evacuation of 1,000 more people and burning a total of 1,260 hectares, local authorities said Sunday.

Published: 14 August 2022 10:52 CEST
A wildfire near Belin-Beliet, southwestern France,
A wildfire near Belin-Beliet, southwestern France, overnight on August 11, 2022. France's parched southwest has seen several fresh blazes over the past week. Thibaud MORITZ / AFP

France has been buffeted this summer by a historic drought as well as a series of heatwaves and several forest fires, notably in the southwest.

READ ALSO: IN PICTURES: French drought intensifies as River Loire dries up

The Aveyron fire, which has been raging since Monday, appeared to be under control and dying out on Saturday afternoon when it suddenly reignited in a “virulent” manner, gobbling up 500 more hectares (1,235 acres), the prefecture said.

At least 1,000 people were evacuated from the village of Mostuejols near the city of Millau and six nearby hamlets, it said.

Some 3,000 people had been evacuated because of the fire, but were allowed back when it appeared under control. No casualties have been reported so far from the blaze.

A local man was under investigation for accidentally starting the fire when a metal part of his trailer touched the road, sending off sparks that ignited the dried vegetation.

In eastern France, police said on Saturday they were banning entry to most forests in the Bas-Rhin region near the German border, in order to limit the risk of fires igniting.

Austrian firefighters help to extinguish a fire in a forest of South Gironde

Austrian firefighters help to extinguish a fire in a forest in South Gironde, near Belin-Beliet on August 13, 2022. (Photo by Thibaud MORITZ / AFP)

In the southwestern Gironde region around Bordeaux, another fire which flared on Tuesday was under control after rain fell overnight, a senior official said.

READ ALSO: Thunderstorms expected around contained French wildfire

The situation “considerably improved during the night,” Arnaud Mendousse, of Gironde fire and rescue, said.

He said there had been between 10 and 30 mm of rain in the region but on “terrain that is extremely dry”.

“We know that this offers a respite but does not signify an end to the fight. We know that if it does not rain in the next 48 to 72 hours, the risk will increase considerably.”

Mendousse said the humidity level has gone up and the temperature was relatively low at around 25 degrees Celsius, (77 Fahrenheit) adding: “The fire is not completely out and the soil remains extremely hot”.

EU members including Germany, Poland, Austria and Romania have pledged reinforcements totalling 361 firefighters to join the roughly 1,100 French ones on the ground, along with several water-bombing planes from the European Union fleet.

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WEATHER

Will we see the sun in France over May’s Ascension holiday week?

As people in France prepare to enjoy the two consecutive bank holidays, warmer temperatures are finally in sight. Here is what to expect in terms of weather for the 'pont de l'Ascension' week in France.

Published: 6 May 2024 12:09 CEST
Will we see the sun in France over May's Ascension holiday week?

Forecasters in France expect warmer, sunnier weather for the days ahead, after several weeks of clouds and cold temperatures.

Unfortunately, in order to enjoy the sun you’ll have to wait through a few more days of rain. Here is what to expect for the rest of the week and the long weekend;

Monday

Rain is the dominating weather characteristic of the day, especially over Occitanie, PACA, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Burgundy-Franche-Comté and the Grand-Est. Over in the west, skies will be mostly cloudy, and residents in Brittany and Normandy can expect storms later in the day, which could spread into parts of Centre-Val de Loire.

Where it’s not raining, it will be mostly cloudy, with temperatures expected to rise to between 14C to 18C across most of the country, but could reach 21C on the Mediterranean coast and 26C in western Corsica.

Tuesday

More rain. With the exception of the far west of the country, which will get a preview of conditions to come as Tuesday goes on, rain is the weather order of the day, with storms predicted in southern areas from mid-afternoon and into the evening. 

Maximum temperatures are expected to range from 14C to 19C in the north of France, and from 11C to 20C in the southern half.

Wednesday May 8th – Public holiday for Victory in Europe day

The long public holiday weekend arrives, along with the sun. Other than in the far north early on, expect sunshine and mostly blue skies – though occasionally stormy showers may develop in the southeast later on. 

Temperatures of between 17C and 20C are forecast in the northern half of the country, and between 18C and 21C further south.

The map below from Météo France gives a better idea of the weather across France on Wednesday afternoon.

Weather forecast for France on Wednesday May 8th. Météo France

Thursday – Public holiday for Ascension

Mild. Dry. Sunny. Your three-word forecast for Thursday. There may be a few clouds in northern France, but the south is wall-to-wall sunshine for most of the day. Isolated storms may develop in the southern Alps late in the day.

Temperatures of between 18C and 20C are forecast in the northern half of the country, and between 19C and 24C further south.

Friday – Pont de l’Ascension – Day off for many with schools closed in France

Overcast conditions return in the northern half of the country on Friday, to remind everyone that it’s not quite summer yet, but the skies remain clear in the south, with temperatures expected to climb past 25C in the southwest of the country.

Weekend

Other than a few thunderstorms in the south of the country, expect dry, warm, sunny weather across the whole of France over the weekend, with early summer temperatures reaching into the upper 20s celsius to match.

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