Forest fire in the Var continues to spread: 400 people evacuated

Pontevès – July 22, 2026: A forest fire near Pontevès in the Var department spread further during Wednesday night. According to a situation report from the prefecture at 2 a.m. on July 22, around 1,700 hectares were affected. About 400 people were moved to safety as a precaution; they came from at-risk areas in the municipalities of Cotignac, Correns and Montfort-sur-Argens. By morning, the situation remained tense.

About 900 firefighters and around 350 vehicles were involved in the operation. Authorities said the fire broke out in a difficult-to-access wooded area of the Bessillon massif. The on-site command focused on preventing the fire from spreading to inhabited areas, securing evacuations and keeping access routes clear for emergency personnel.

More than 2,300 households lost power overnight. The outages affected areas threatened by the fire and further complicated operations in some places. No information was initially released on when all power connections could be restored. The electricity supply also depends on whether emergency personnel can safely reach and inspect the affected lines.

The fire broke out around midday on Tuesday near Pontevès and quickly spread to the Bessillon massif. Var prefect Simon Babre said on Tuesday evening that, under the conditions at the time, the flames were moving downhill at a very rapid pace. Cotignac, Correns and Montfort-sur-Argens subsequently became areas of particular concern.

In Correns, the municipal government ordered the evacuation of several residential areas north of a departmental road. A municipal shelter was set up locally for affected residents. Authorities urged people in at-risk areas to follow official instructions, not obstruct access routes and not travel independently near the fire area.

The firefighting operation took place amid an already tense situation. Due to persistent heat and a marked lack of rainfall, the Var prefecture had already raised the entire administrative area to drought alert level in mid-July. Dry vegetation increased the risk of the fire spreading rapidly through forests, scrubland and open areas.

As of Wednesday morning, it had not been confirmed whether the fire was under control. Emergency personnel continued working and assessing wind conditions, terrain and possible threats to towns. Authorities will release further information once they can more reliably assess the fire line, evacuations and power supply.