Evacuation of several towns due to wildfires on the French Mediterranean coast

A major fire broke out on Sunday in several towns along the Mediterranean coast near Fréjus, forcing residents to evacuate as strong winds and dry conditions fueled the spread of the flames.

The fire had consumed approximately 180 hectares of land by evening, according to reports from the prefecture’s office.

Television footage showed massive flames advancing behind homes built on the slope of a hill, a familiar sight in the French Riviera region, while thick plumes of black smoke rose above pine and cypress trees. Train services between the Mediterranean port of Toulon and Le Lavandor were suspended due to the fire. Last month, the World Meteorological Organization warned that record-high temperatures that swept across Western Europe for more than a week in late June would increase the risk of wildfires, given forecasts of continued high temperatures, significantly reduced humidity, and dried vegetation.

The Reuters Climate Observatory predicted that the maximum temperature in Le Lavandor, where the fire is raging, would reach 38 degrees Celsius, approximately 11.4 degrees Celsius above the average maximum recorded for July 19 during the 1961–1990 period.