Wildfire burns 250 hectares in Lozère, forcing evacuations in Prévenchères

Fire ignites at Le Thort and spreads rapidly

A wildfire broke out at approximately 16:40 on Wednesday, 19 August 2026, in the Lozère department in southern France. The blaze originated at a location known as Le Thort, near the border with the neighbouring Ardèche department. Driven by easterly winds with gusts reaching 30 kilometres per hour, the fire advanced rapidly across dry vegetation towards the commune of Prévenchères. By early Wednesday evening, emergency services reported that 180 hectares had burned, a figure that expanded to approximately 250 hectares by the end of the evening. Firefighters established containment perimeters across rugged terrain while monitoring active fronts near regional borders.

Hamlet evacuations and infrastructure protection

The advancing fire threatened residential areas, prompting local authorities to order precautionary evacuations across the commune of Prévenchères, which counts between 260 and 270 residents. Emergency operations focused on the hamlets of Alzons, where roughly 20 homes faced direct risk, and Chalbos. Olivier Maurin, the mayor of Prévenchères, confirmed that about 20 people had to leave their dwellings as smoke and flames neared the properties. Municipal personnel assisted residents during the evacuation and monitored local routes leading into the affected sectors. Despite the proximity of the blaze to regional infrastructure, emergency services confirmed that the Roujanel solar park remained unaffected. The facility, situated within Prévenchères, is recognised as the largest solar power installation in the Occitanie region.

Emergency mobilisation and aerial deployment

Initial emergency response teams consisted of 130 firefighters drawn from Lozère and Ardèche, who were quickly assisted by regional reinforcements. Additional personnel arrived from the Gard, Hérault, and Vaucluse departments, raising the total force on the ground to approximately 250 firefighters by late Wednesday evening. One firefighter sustained second-degree burns to his hands and legs during the intervention, according to Colonel Frédéric Lhomme, director of the Lozère fire and rescue service (Sdis 48). Aviation units supported ground crews during daylight hours with coordinated water-dropping passes over active perimeters. The Lozère prefecture detailed the scale of air operations in an official release.

In support of the firefighters on the ground, substantial aerial resources were deployed (at peak 8 Canadairs and 3 Dash).

Containment efforts and overnight monitoring

Operations continued throughout Wednesday night to prevent flames from jumping rural roadways and entering adjacent forested zones. The combination of shifting wind gusts and dry undergrowth complicated initial perimeter containment, requiring coordinated shifts between local brigades and external regional detachments. Ground crews focused on dampening down hotspots along the edges of the 250-hectare perimeter while securing evacuated residences in Alzons and Chalbos. Emergency services maintained hose lines around rural buildings to protect residential structures from sudden flare-ups. Civil protection teams and municipal officials remained stationed at reception points to assist displaced residents until fire commanders could guarantee safe access back to their properties.