Landes wildfire shows signs of stabilisation as heatwave shifts eastward
A major wildfire that has scorched around 1,700 hectares in Landes showed signs of stabilisation on Sunday, August 16, as firefighters reported more favourable conditions following the arrival of cooler weather in western France.
The blaze, which erupted near Luglon on Thursday, August 13 at approximately 2:30 p.m., was driven by strong, shifting winds during peak heatwave conditions, with temperatures exceeding 40°C recorded in parts of Landes. Around 500 firefighters were initially deployed alongside 40 forest-fire vehicles, supported by aircraft including Canadairs, Dash water-bombers and Air Tractors.
Landes prefect Gilles Clavreul reported that the fire did not experience major flare-ups overnight, describing the situation as "developing rather favourably" after intensive firefighting efforts through the night. However, some 650 people remain evacuated and authorities warn the situation remains dangerous.
The affected area was revised upwards from approximately 1,600 to 1,700 hectares, though Clavreul emphasised this reflected improved mapping using drones rather than significant fire expansion. Firefighters will focus primarily on ground operations on Sunday, employing watering, earthmoving and tactical fires where appropriate.
"The situation is favourable compared with yesterday, that is clear," Clavreul stated, while cautioning that "a lot of work" remained ahead.
Evacuation measures remain in force, with authorities ruling out an immediate return home for those displaced.
Third major fire in Landes de Gascogne forest
This fire marks the third major blaze this summer in the Landes de Gascogne forest, Europe's largest continuous planted forest spanning approximately 10,000 square kilometres and consisting primarily of maritime pine. The Biscarrosse fire in July burned around 3,700 hectares and forced more than 30,000 people to evacuate, whilst the Saumos fire in neighbouring Gironde consumed about 42,000 hectares.
The Saumos blaze proved particularly destructive, generating pyrocumulonimbus effects—fire thunderstorms that created lightning and ignited additional fires, an extremely rare phenomenon never before documented in France. That fire led to the evacuation of more than 220,000 people from 23 communes in Gironde, making it the largest single wildfire evacuation France has experienced in recent years.
Additional fires across France
In Ardennes, firefighters faced challenging conditions battling a fire at Monthermé that had burned around 100 hectares by Saturday evening. The prefecture described the situation as "unfavourable", with crews confronting steep terrain and limited water access. A Dash aircraft was deployed to drop fire retardant.
In the south, firefighters continue managing the aftermath of the Drôme fire, which consumed around 400 hectares earlier this month. The blaze has reignited previously, requiring hundreds of firefighters to remain deployed in the area.
Exceptional fire season
The scale of the current fire season is exceptional. Nearly 100,000 hectares have burned across France this year, according to the European Forest Fire Information System, making 2026 the worst year in two decades of satellite-based monitoring. The figure represents more than three times the 14-year average of 31,648 hectares, and experts have classified 2026 as France's worst wildfire season since 1949, when Landes experienced a major historic forest fire.
Weather outlook
The heatwave warning has retreated towards south-eastern France, with 28 departments remaining on orange alert on Sunday. Météo-France forecast temperatures would generally reach 28-34°C, rising to 35-38°C from the Lyon area through the Rhône valley and Mediterranean regions. The heatwave is expected to persist in parts of the south-east until mid-week.
The risk of severe storms has eased, with no departments on orange storm alert for Sunday or Monday. However, storms remain possible in the south-west, with isolated heavy rain, hail and gusts potentially reaching 80-90 km/h.
