Wildfire in southern France forces evacuation of 10,000 people and disrupts Tour de France stage

A wildfire burning in southern France has forced the evacuation of about 10,000 people from small towns and villages in the Pyrénées-Orientales department, authorities said on Monday, as conditions deteriorated again and emergency crews resumed efforts to contain the fire near the Spanish border.

The blaze is located in the area of Trévillach, near Perpignan. The local prefect, Pierre Regnault de la Mothe, said the fire had already burned at least 4,600 hectares, according to a posting on the social media platform X that was cited in international reporting.

Interior Minister Laurent Núñez said on French television that “the battle resumes,” adding that firefighters were dealing with worsening conditions. Witnesses quoted in reporting described the speed of the fire’s spread, and residents were moved from areas considered at risk as authorities warned that the situation could change quickly.

As evacuations were ordered, Tour de France organizers took operational steps for public safety and emergency access. The race’s governing teams urged fans and unessential personnel to stay away from the final stretch and conclusion of the third stage on Monday, and specifically barred spectators, citing the need to keep routes open for emergency vehicles.

According to reporting, the third stage starts in Granollers, Spain, and finishes in Les Angles, in the Pyrénées-Orientales region. Organizers said a motorcade of team vehicles that follows the race would be kept to a minimum, and they appealed directly to the public not to come to the edge of the course or to the finish site while emergency operations were ongoing.

Race director Christian Prudhomme said the decision reflected the scale of the emergency, describing it as requiring “exceptional measures” for the Tour. The change also underscores how the wildfire, rather than cycling-related factors, is dictating on-the-ground planning and public access around a major international event.

Officials and European partners said they were mobilizing additional resources. The European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, announced that EU aircraft based in Cyprus and Sweden would be sent to assist the emergency response in France.

Additional impacts were reported beyond the evacuation zone, including wildfire activity in neighboring Spain, where authorities said fires were also affecting areas near the region’s border corridors as heat and dry conditions complicated containment efforts.