Personal perception of the 2025 august wildfire in the Corbières (Aude/Mediterranean France)

The blog post examines the August 2025 wildfire in the Corbières region of Mediterranean France, marking it as the second-largest wildfire in the country since 1949. The author, who has extensive fieldwork experience and personal ties to the area, provides an in-depth analysis of the wildfire's impact, which has consumed approximately 17,000 hectares of forest and garrigue bushlands. The discussion emphasizes the long-term consequences of rural abandonment, bush encroachment, and suburban sprawl, all exacerbated by climate change.
The post reflects on the broader implications of increasing wildfire risks across Europe, driven by climate change and urbanization patterns. It underscores the challenges faced by local populations in recovering from such catastrophic events and the need for greater attention to scientific warnings about wildfire risks. The author also includes a revised communication with a Bloomberg journalist, discussing the escalating wildfire risks and the ecological and social impacts of these events. The post concludes with a bibliography of relevant scientific literature on Mediterranean fire ecology and landscape dynamics focussing on Mediterranean France and the Corbières.