Fire in the Double Massif of Charente now confined to its initial boundary
Wildfire in Saint-Vallier, Charente: Firefighters Continue Battle Against Blaze
A wildfire that started in Saint-Vallier, Charente on Monday afternoon has burned approximately 230 hectares of vegetation as of the evening of August 11, 2025. Despite the fire's spread having slowed by nightfall, it remains not yet under control, with active fire perimeters still present.
Firefighters have deployed over 200 personnel on the ground to contain the fire. Due to nightfall, aerial firefighting operations were suspended, but ground efforts were intensified to manage the blaze. Precautionary measures included evacuations of homes in the affected hamlets such as Brossac and Saint-Vallier, and power cuts implemented by Enedis to protect around 700 residents across 12 municipalities.
The region remains under an orange forest fire alert and a red heatwave alert from Météo France, conditions that complicate containment efforts. Temperatures reaching 41°C on the day of the fire further exacerbate the risk and challenge firefighting.
The fire was extinguished on Tuesday morning around 5 a.m., and then controlled. However, within the fire perimeter, smoke is still present, and firefighters are focusing on treating the edges of the fire in Saint-Vallier. Wetting operations are expected to continue in the coming days to address the smoke.
The situation in Saint-Vallier is evolving favourably, according to the prefecture. Eight intervention groups for forest fires (GIFF) will remain mobilized all night in Saint-Vallier, and these groups will be maintained on Wednesday and adapted to the evolution of the situation in Saint-Vallier.
Meanwhile, firefighters are also battling a fire in a field on the edge of wooded areas in the commune of Rougnac. Approximately ten hectares have been burned in this fire. A residual fire persists behind the fire in the sector, as of 8 p.m. Firefighters have utilised numerous aerial drops to help extinguish the fire in Saint-Vallier, and reinforced land means were used in the firefighting efforts.
The LGV line was closed by SNCF due to the fire's reignition, causing delays at Bordeaux Saint-Jean station. The objective for the night in Saint-Vallier is to maintain active surveillance on the fire's perimeter. Wetting operations are scheduled to resume on Wednesday morning in Saint-Vallier.
The fire in Rougnac has been limited with the help of a Dash, two Air-Tractor water bomber aircraft, and two GIFF. The fire in Saint-Vallier, Charente, which occurred on August 11, is now contained within its initial perimeter. The objective for the coming days is to monitor the situation closely and ensure that the fires do not reignite.
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