Fire in Var: 80 firefighters from Alpes-Maritimes sent as reinforcements

Facing the resumption of the fire in the Var, the SDIS 06 deployed 80 firefighters and 18 vehicles to support the Var rescue services. More than 360 firefighters remain mobilized on a fire that is still not contained between Taradeau and Les Arcs-sur-Argens.

The fire affecting the Var led the Alpes-Maritimes Department Fire and Rescue Service (SDIS 06) to deploy significant human and material resources. In total, 80 firefighters and 18 vehicles were sent as reinforcements to participate in firefighting operations.

This mobilization comes as the situation remains particularly challenging in the municipalities of Taradeau and Arcs-sur-Argens. On Monday, July 20, the fire reactivated on the left flank in Taradeau, resulting in the deployment of three Canadairs, two water bombers, and one Dash aircraft. In Arcs-sur-Argens, a runway set up in the forest now allows teams to position firefighting resources as close as possible to the disaster.

According to the departmental director of the Var SDIS, “The fire is not yet contained”. In total, 360 firefighters remain engaged in the field. More than 200 hectares have already been burned by the flames and four houses have been completely destroyed.

Charles Ange Ginésy, president of the Alpes-Maritimes department and president of SDIS 06, praised the commitment of the Côte d’Azur teams: “Faced with the scale of the fire affecting the Var today, 80 firefighters from the Alpes-Maritimes SDIS and 18 vehicles have been deployed as reinforcements to support their Var colleagues. This mobilization once again illustrates the strength of solidarity that unites the territories and rescue services of our country when emergency demands it. I want to salute the courage, professionalism, and exemplary sense of duty of our firefighters, who respond without hesitation to protect populations and preserve our natural spaces. They do honor to the Alpes-Maritimes. To all the women and men engaged in this fire, I extend my support, my confidence, and my profound gratitude.”

Heightened vigilance in the face of forest fire risk

This fire is developing in an unfavorable weather context. The Var is among the departments placed at the highest risk level for forest fires. Forest massifs had indeed been closed preventively before the fire started. In the Alpes-Maritimes, vigilance in the Estérel massif has ended.

Meanwhile, six departments in the southeast remain on orange alert for heatwave conditions. Temperatures exceeding 35°C are expected. In total, 27 departments are classified Monday at a high risk level for forest fires. Conditions that complicate rescue operations and maintain high vigilance across the entire Mediterranean territory.