French emergency crews contain several wildfires as scorched area reaches 115,000 hectares

French emergency services continue to battle multiple forest fires across the country amid dry weather conditions. The blaze near Montséret in the Aude department has been contained after burning 100 hectares, though crews remain deployed to prevent rekindling. A separate 225-hectare fire near Puilaurens remains active, with steep, inaccessible terrain complicating firefighting efforts.

In the Var department, local blazes have been extinguished, but prefectural authorities banned access to seven forest massifs due to extreme fire risks. Meanwhile, fires in the Drôme are contained, and progress has halted on the Gironde megafire, which officials now consider controlled.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, wildfires have scorched 115,000 hectares across France since the beginning of the year. Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced plans to visit Gironde on August 17 to launch reconstruction initiatives for affected areas.

Sources: Le Figaro, Le Monde, Le Soir, Libération, RTBF Info.