Wildfire burns over 500 hectares on Hérault–Aude border, hundreds of firefighters mobilised

Fire ignites and spreads rapidly

The fire started on Wednesday, 1 July, in the Hérault department. The Aude prefecture said it broke out in the commune of Beaufort and burned approximately 400 hectares within Hérault before crossing into Aude near Sainte-Valière. Other reports placed the origin in Oupia, Hérault. By late afternoon the fire had consumed over 500 hectares; some sources, including Le Soir, put the figure at 600 hectares.

Under unfavourable weather conditions, the fire is moving rapidly in the north-east of the department.

Firefighting response

Several hundred firefighters from the Hérault and Aude services are tackling the blaze, backed by significant aerial resources. Prefect of Aude Alain Bucquet activated the departmental operational centre and called on residents to keep away and avoid overloading emergency lines.

The population is urged to be cautious, to avoid the area and not to overload emergency lines.

Evacuations and local measures

Evacuations were carried out in Pouzols-Minervois and Mailhac. Their communal safeguard plans were triggered, together with the inter-communal plan for Grand Narbonne. The nearby commune of Bize-Minervois, not directly threatened, kept its own plan on standby.

High-risk conditions and other fires

The Aude department was under a forest-fire red alert on Wednesday. Strong winds and unfavourable climatic conditions are driving the flames quickly.

Meanwhile, a separate fire in Fréjus, in the Var department, had destroyed about 30 hectares of vegetation by 5 p.m. as dozens of firefighters worked to contain it.