French firefighters contain Aude wildfire while Puilaurens blaze remains active

French emergency crews have contained a 100-hectare wildfire near Montséret in the Aude department, though a 225-hectare blaze near Puilaurens remains active due to inaccessible terrain. Fire conditions have improved in other regions, with blazes extinguished in Var, contained in Drôme, and no longer advancing in Gironde.

Prefectural authorities in Var banned public access to seven forest massifs on Friday following extreme risk assessments. Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu scheduled an August 17 visit to Gironde to begin rebuilding affected communities. Official figures indicate that wildfires have burned more than 115,000 hectares across France since the beginning of the year.

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