French officials said they have evacuated thousands of residents from southern France as multiple wildfires continue to rage across drought-stricken areas amid extreme heat.
The biggest fire is burning in the Pyrénées-Orientales department near the Spanish border, where officials say the blaze has consumed about 4,936 hectares (roughly 12,200 acres) of land. Dry conditions, high temperatures and strong winds have hampered firefighting efforts.
About 12,000 people were evacuated from 27 municipalities, according to authorities. Evacuation orders remained in place in several communities, including the town of Vinça and 11 surrounding villages, but others were returning home as conditions improved.
The fire has also impacted the Tour de France, which started Saturday in Barcelona, Spain. Race organisers barred spectators from parts of the mountainous course in the affected region, citing public safety and the need to keep roads clear for emergency responders.
“The priority remains protecting people, property and natural areas,” the organisers said in a statement. Only race participants and their support crews were permitted to travel on portions of the course affected by the emergency.
Some 450 firefighters with air support are battling the fire, and another 170 gendarmes have been deployed to help ensure public safety and emergency operations. Officials said the fire made no overnight growth, and firefighters were able to make progress during the night.
The European Union has also provided assistance, sending firefighting planes from Sweden and Cyprus to assist French emergency services.
Temperatures could reach 105 degrees Fahrenheit (about 40.5 degrees Celsius) in parts of southwestern France, with most of the country expected to see temperatures above 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius), forecasters said. French authorities have put much of the country on high alert for wildfires, with 54 departments under high or very high fire danger warnings.
“This is the highest number of departments under such warnings simultaneously since the monitoring system was introduced,” officials said, beating the previous record of 29 departments in 2025.
The fires come after an unusually early start to France's wildfire season, following a punishing June heatwave across Europe. Scientists have linked the increase in frequency and intensity of extreme heat events to human-driven climate change.
Meanwhile, a 22-year-old firefighter died responding to a wildfire in the Savoie region of the French Alps Tuesday night, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said.
