Wildfire in Lozère, southern France, burns 153 hectares and forces evacuation of 20 homes
A wildfire in Lozère, southern France, scorched 153 hectares and forced the evacuation of about 20 homes as 220 firefighters battled the flames amid exceptional drought conditions.
Fire breaks out in Lozère
A wildfire declared itself around 12:45 on Sunday 9 August 2026 on the commune of Le Massegros-Causses-Gorges, about 140 km northwest of Montpellier in the Lozère department of southern France. Firefighters said the blaze may have been sparked by a vehicle catching fire on a communal road. The area is heavily wooded and has been affected by exceptional drought, conditions that helped the fire spread rapidly through the afternoon.
- Fire breaks out on the commune of Le Massegros-Causses-Gorges, possibly caused by a vehicle catching fire on a communal road
- Two hamlets in La Tieule, about 20 homes, evacuated as flames advance
- First estimate: 90 hectares burned, situation not under control
- Burned area exceeds 100 hectares; 220 firefighters, 4 Canadair and 1 Dash deployed
- Fire has scorched 153 hectares and is still not fixed, per firefighters
Evacuations and area burned
By 17:30 on 9 August, a first estimate put the burned area at 90 hectares. By the evening, the figure had exceeded 100 hectares, and by 10 August the fire had consumed 153 hectares and was still not fixed, according to Lozère firefighters. Two hamlets in the municipality of La Tieule, situated directly in the path of the flames and comprising about 20 homes, were evacuated around 17:00 on 9 August.
- 90 ha (17:30, 9 Aug)
- 90 ha
- 100+ ha (evening, 9 Aug)
- 100 ha
- 153 ha (10 Aug)
- 153 ha
Firefighting response
About 220 firefighters from Lozère, Aveyron and Hérault were mobilised to fight the blaze, backed by four Canadair water bombers and a Dash aircraft, with additional reinforcements expected. The Sdis48, Lozère's fire and rescue service, stated that the situation was not under control as of the evening of 9 August. The Lozère prefecture urged residents not to call emergency services to report the blaze, to avoid overloading crews already engaged. The D67 road between La Tieule and Le Recoux was closed.
Exceptional drought conditions
Marc Toulouse, commandant at Sdis48 and departmental duty officer, described the terrain and weather conditions driving the fire.
This is an area with a great deal of woodland. It's extremely dry. The drought is unlike anything we've seen in a long time.
The fire remained uncontrolled as of the evening of 9 August and was still not fixed by 10 August, according to the latest update from Lozère firefighters. No casualties have been reported in any of the source articles.
