A fast-moving wildfire in southwestern France has scorched 600 hectares of forest and forced the evacuation of about 500 people near the village of Luglon in the Landes region. Flames advanced to within a few hundred metres of the town centre by midnight, prompting 280 firefighters, 40 forest fire units and eight aircraft to battle the blaze that ignited Thursday afternoon.
Landes Prefect Gilles Clavreul warned the fire's trajectory remains uncertain and is spreading rapidly. Mayor Fabrice Storolio expressed concern over difficult conditions ahead as Météo-France forecasts temperatures up to 36°C, with the department under an orange heatwave alert after readings exceeded 40°C on Thursday.
The fire is the latest in a devastating season for France. A July blaze near Biscarrosse destroyed 3,700 hectares and 200 homes, while a megafire in Gironde burned 42,000 hectares and displaced 220,000 people. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is scheduled to visit Gironde on Monday. Nationally, nearly 100,000 hectares have burned in 2026, marking the worst year in two decades.