A fire that began late Monday afternoon in the Forêt de la Double in western France has already burned 230 hectares of vegetation, according to the prefecture of Charente Department.
Due to nightfall, aerial firefighting efforts have been suspended, but ground resources have been bolstered. More than 200 firefighters were on the scene on Monday night, the prefecture noted in a statement issued shortly before 11 p.m.
While the spread of the fire had slowed, it was not yet under control, and its perimeters remained active, the prefecture said.
Several homes were evacuated as a precaution by the police. According to Charente Libre newspaper, residents of the hamlets of Brossac and Saint-Vallier have been affected.
Additionally, teams from Enedis, the French electricity distribution utility, have implemented precautionary power cuts, affecting around 700 people across 12 municipalities, the prefecture added.
Météo France has placed Charente Department under an orange alert for the risk of forest fire, and a red alert for a heatwave.
In September 2022, two fires destroyed 400 hectares of pine and broadleaf forest in southern Charente. That was “the biggest fire in Charente’s history,” according to Charente Libre.
