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A fast-moving wildfire erupted in southern France; the fire swept through wooded hills in the Var region, burning 2,550 hectares (6,301 acres) in just a few hours and forcing the evacuation of nearly 400 people, the area's top official said.
Almost 1,000 firefighters and specialized water aircraft battled to contain the fire in the region that lies along France's Mediterranean coast between the cities of Marseille and Nice.
"The fire is moving down Gros Bessillon mountain at a very fast speed, which was not at all anticipated given the climatic conditions and weakening wind," said Simon Barbre, prefect for the region located between Marseille and Nice.
More than 2,300 homes were without power, the prefecture said from Tuesday to Wednesday overnight.
Very dry conditions in the area have caused an extreme forest-fire risk, according to the French weather service Meteo-France.
“This fire is the absolute priority of the whole area right now,” said Var fire chief Eric Grohin, adding that between 900 and 950 firefighters had been deployed.
Nearly 40,000 hectares have burned in France since the start of the year—far more than during all of last year, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nunez.
Driven by repeated heatwaves and drought, the 2026 wildfire season started earlier than usual, with firefighters battling near-daily outbreaks across France in recent weeks.
Another major blaze burned 200 hectares and destroyed homes near Les Arcs-sur-Argens in the Var region between Sunday and Monday.
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