Marseille: Multiple wildfires were burning across France Friday as an intensifying heat wave fueled new outbreaks and strained firefighting efforts, with officials warning that any easing in fire danger over the weekend was likely to be temporary, broadcaster BFMTV reported.
According to Anadolu Agency, new fires broke out in Marseille, threatening homes, as well as in the western Loire-Atlantique and the southwestern Lot departments. Authorities closed several roads and urged residents to avoid the affected areas. Despite these challenges, firefighters made progress in containing some of the country's largest blazes.
Officials in the Pyrenees-Orientales department stated that the wildfire near Trevillach was expected to be brought under control by the end of the day as cooler temperatures and higher humidity improved conditions. Residents of the last evacuated communities were allowed to return home, although nearly 300 firefighters remained at the scene to ensure safety.
In central France, a wildfire that burned around 900 hectares in the Indre department was successfully brought under control after several days. Authorities reported no injuries or homes destroyed but cautioned that the risk of reignition remained high. Julien Marion, director general for civil security and crisis management, mentioned that France could see "a brief respite" in wildfire conditions over the weekend, allowing emergency crews some time to recover. However, he warned that this improvement would be short-lived.
More than 25,000 hectares have burned since the start of the year, which is about twice the area recorded during the same period in 2025, following more than 8,000 wildfires. Officials noted that abundant vegetation due to heavy rainfall, coupled with successive heat waves, had created ideal conditions for fast-moving fires. The latest outbreaks came as France expanded its highest heat wave alert, with nine western departments under red alert on Friday and more regions, including the Paris area, expected to join them on Saturday.