Blognotice 26.07.2026 : une odeur de brûlé à Port Leucate

On 25 July 2026, a distinct odor of burning was reported in Port Leucate (Aude, France), later confirmed by the SDIS 11 (Aude Fire and Rescue Service) as originating from severe wildfires in the Gironde region, specifically the Forêt des Landes. This phenomenon was exacerbated by strong tramontane winds, transporting smoke over long distances. The event evoked memories of the 1949 fatal wildfire in the Forêt des Landes, a historic disaster previously analyzed in the paysages blog (1949 – l’incendie meurtrier dans la Forêt des Landes). The post references Eric Rigolot (INRAE) and Eric Durand (Syndicat national du personnel navigant de l’aéronautique civile), who highlighted critical gaps in wildfire preparedness and Canadair aircraft availability in France, with only 7 of 12 Canadair operational during the crisis. The blog author also mentioned that one of his last scientific works involved advising a bachelor thesis evaluating the potential uses of amphibious fire-fighting aircraft in Baden-Württemberg (Volk 2025 Kitopen DOI: DOI: 10.5445/IR/1000185792 ). The author emphasizes that climate change has been identified as a key factor in wildfire dynamics since the early 2000s, with their own work contributing to this consensus. ... mehrThey suggest that Neff & Scheid (2003, KITopen DOI: 10.5445/IR/1000121841) may have been one of the first papers linking climate change to increasing forest fire risks, although it received limited attention as it was published as a German-written book chapter in an Italian book. Political engagement on DFCI (Défense de la Forêt Contre les Incendies) is noted as inconsistent, with Grégory Allione (Renew Europe) cited as a rare exception for his year-round advocacy. The author believes this trend will be confirmed once the first autumn rains have pushed the 2026 wildfire season off the French political agenda.