Southern France Under Watch: Wildfire Warning Starts Unusually Early

Even before summer officially picks up speed, attention in southern France is already focused on a danger many associate only with the hot months of July and August: wildfires. The orange warning level has now been issued in four départements. Affected are Aude, Hérault, Var, and Bouches-du-Rhône – regions that attract numerous tourists each year and at the same time count among the most vulnerable areas of the country. The early alarm comes as a surprise. Normally, wildfire warnings become more prominent later in the summer. This time, however, weather ...