French firefighters
Coverage of French firefighters in the Nexus archive.
- On the front line of Europe's battle against wildfires
French firefighters have successfully contained a massive blaze, allowing nearly 200,000 evacuees to return home. However, Europe's climate-driven wildfire season remains ongoing.
- France's southwest faces 'optimistic day' as half of evacuees return home
Over half of the 220,000 people evacuated from France's southwest due to wildfires have returned home. The fires, west of Bordeaux, destroyed 200+ homes, burned 42,000 hectares, and killed two firemen.
- French police look to avoid burglaries in evacuated areas as firefighting continues
French firefighters are battling major wildfires in the southwest that have destroyed 42,000 hectares, leading to thousands of evacuations. Authorities are working to prevent burglaries in evacuated areas as some fires have stabilized.
- Monster fires spark debate over France's forest management
Monster fires in France's southwest have intensified a political debate over conflicting forest management codes. Firefighters argue for removing brushwood to prevent fires, while forest rangers oppose destruction if it harms habitats of protective species. FRANCE 24's Angela Diffley reports on the issue.
- Wildfires: The ominous 'fire clouds' or 'pyrocumulonimbus' seen in France for the first time
French firefighters are confronting pyrocumulonimbus clouds, a first-time occurrence in France, caused by extreme wildfires in southwest France. The phenomenon is linked to human-related climate change by researcher Jean-Baptiste Filippi.
- French firefighters battle the blaze with local residents through the night
French firefighters and local residents are working together to combat a blaze during the night, when Canadair aircraft cannot operate due to low visibility. Ground efforts are focused on fighting the fire with limited resources provided by residents.
- French firefighters face 'pyrocumulonimbus' for first time
French firefighters are encountering a pyrocumulonimbus, a weather phenomenon associated with wildfires, for the first time. This marks a new challenge in managing large-scale fires under extreme weather conditions.
- French firefighters battle blazes with military cargo planes
French firefighters are battling wildfires that have forced over 300,000 people to flee, using a converted A400M military cargo aircraft to drop retardant in southwest France. The unpredictable blazes have overwhelmed fire crews, prompting the deployment of military resources to contain the spread.
- More than 1,900 hectares of Fontainebleau forest near Paris destroyed by wildfires
French firefighters are battling two wildfires that have destroyed over 1,900 hectares of Fontainebleau forest, a UNESCO biosphere reserve near Paris. Police arrested two suspects linked to the blaze, which forced the evacuation of approximately 1,000 residents.
- France records around 1,000 excess deaths in heatwave
France recorded around 1,000 excess deaths during a heatwave. French firefighters transported a patient to the Nantes CHU Hospital in Nantes, France on June 26, 2026.