Southern Corsica has moved to shut down a major source of wildfire risk heading into summer, issuing a prefectural order that bans all forest fires through September 30, 2026.
The decision comes as the French Mediterranean island is already seeing an unusually early start to fire season: officials have recorded 50 separate fire starts in Corse-du-Sud (Southern Corsica) since January, even though the hottest weeks of the year are still ahead.
The spike is part of a broader national pattern. Since April 13, 2026, France has identified forested areas at wildfire risk in 52 of the country’s departments—administrative districts roughly comparable to U.S. counties.
Corsica among departments under orange wildfire alert
Corse-du-Sud and neighboring Haute-Corse are among six departments currently placed under an “orange” alert for forest-fire risk, alongside Var, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Gard and Ardèche. Officials also report that eight departments in southeastern France are classified under orange vigilance on certain days, including all of Corsica.
Corsica’s terrain and weather can amplify danger: dense vegetation, soils that dry quickly, and strong winds. During fires in February 2019, 1,500 hectares—about 3,700 acres—burned across Corsica in a single night, with humidity dropping to 8%, “lower than what you can observe in summer,” according to the prefect at the time.
Climate disruption is pushing fire season earlier
What stands out in the 2026 figures is the timing. The 50 fire starts in Corse-du-Sud occurred before the heart of summer, reflecting a shift of wildfire season into spring—and even winter—that officials say is becoming more pronounced.
During the February 2019 fires, Corsica prefect Josiane Chevalier put it bluntly: “I believe climate disruption is at work. We don’t expect to have fires in winter but now I think we’ll have to get used to it.”
The order running through September 30 is designed to cover the entire high-risk season without exception.
Wildfire risk now spans more than half of France
While Corsica is drawing attention, the risk extends well beyond the island. Since mid-April 2026, more than half of France’s departments have reported forested areas classified as at risk of wildfire.
Southeastern France remains the epicenter, with red-alert days for wildfire risk already documented in 2025 in several departments along the Rhône Valley corridor.
In Corse-du-Sud, the 50 fire starts counted before June 21 offer a concrete measure of the strain on emergency services—and on island ecosystems—months before the traditional end of the danger period.
