The massive Gros Bessillon wildfire that has ravaged the Var region for more than two weeks has finally been contained, authorities confirmed late Friday. However, fire officials immediately cautioned against complacency, emphasizing that the battle is far from over as a new heatwave sweeps across the country.
“We are not celebrating victory too soon,” Sofian Rahmani, communications officer for the Var departmental fire and rescue service, told franceinfo on Saturday morning. Despite the sense of relief, he stressed that “the work is still significant” for the 450 firefighters who remain deployed on the ground.
Vigilance Maintained as Heatwave Intensifies
The fire, which ignited 18 days ago, has scorched approximately 6,300 hectares of land, destroying 5,700 hectares across the communes of Pontevès, Correns, Cotignac,arcès, Montfort-sur-Argens, Châteauvert, and Barjols. With the fire now fixed, the primary mission for the remaining crews has shifted from active suppression to meticulous surveillance.
“The challenge now is to monitor the hotspots and the edges,” Lieutenant Rahmani explained. This painstaking work is critical to prevent any rekindling, especially given the current weather conditions. Météo-France has placed 34 departments, including Var, under a high risk alert for wildfire outbreaks on Saturday, as a punishing heatwave intensifies, particularly in the South-West and along the Rhône Valley.
Fire Situation Across Southern France
While the situation in Var has improved, firefighters are still battling other significant blazes across the south of France:
- Drôme: The fire in the Claps massif, now in its fifth day, has spread slightly to cover nearly 300 hectares of forest. The prefecture described the situation as “complex” at several hotspots, with a particular concern for the fire front on the commune of Beaumont-en-Diois and a new propagation observed on the fire’s rear flank in the Rochas sector.
- Lozère: A fire that broke out on Friday afternoon in Naussac-Fontanes has been contained after burning 65 hectares, according to the sub-prefect.
- Pyrénées-Orientales: In a major milestone, the Trévillach fire, which started on the evening of July 4 and consumed nearly 5,000 hectares, has been officially declared extinguished after more than a month.
A Long Road to Recovery
The containment of the Gros Bessillon fire marks a turning point, but the aftermath leaves a deeply scarred landscape and a community on edge. The ongoing heatwave, with temperatures set to peak, ensures that the risk of new fires remains extreme. For the hundreds of firefighters who have battled the flames for weeks, the shift to mop-up operations is a demanding task requiring constant vigilance, a silent race against the wind and embers to ensure the fire does not find new life.
