A wildfire in France’s southern Var region has stabilised but is not yet under control after burning around 18.5 square kilometres, local media reported on Monday.
The blaze, which flared up Friday in the commune of Correns, continued to spread over the weekend as firefighters battled many active hotspots across difficult terrain, according to broadcaster BFMTV.
Around 1,500 firefighters, including reinforcements from other French departments and European countries, remain deployed alongside water-bombing aircraft.
Firefighters benefited from humid and relatively calm conditions overnight, but officials warned that stronger, shifting winds and high temperatures could complicate operations later Monday.
“The gusts are expected to be stronger than yesterday and the temperatures high,” a fire department representative said.
Temperatures were forecast to reach 35°C in Chateauvert and as high as 36-37°C elsewhere in the upper Var region.
“Today, our priority missions are the protection of all homes,” said Lt. Romain Sorel, who leads a firefighting detachment from the Drome department. “We will see how the disaster develops during the day. The wind is changing every day.”
