French firefighters stabilize major blazes as severe wildfire risks persist

Firefighters across southern France continue combating forest blazes, though several key fires have now stabilized. In the Aude department, emergency crews contained a 100-hectare wildfire near Montséret after deploying 240 firefighters, 60 vehicles, and ten aircraft. Residents in neighboring Saint-André-de-Roquelongue were instructed to shelter in place during the response. While the nearby Puilaurens fire remains active across 225 hectares of rugged terrain, its perimeter has halted progress.

In the Var department, where recent fires were extinguished, prefectural officials prohibited public access to seven forest massifs due to extreme fire risks. Meanwhile, Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu scheduled an August 17 visit to Gironde to initiate regional reconstruction following containment progress on the department's mega-fire. Official statistics show that over 115,000 hectares have burned nationwide this year.

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