A significant wildfire has erupted in the Hérault département, between Castelnau-de-Guers and Montagnac. François-Xavier Loche, the prefect of Hérault, explained: « We currently have a major fire outbreak that started from Castelnau-de-Guers and is now in the commune of Montagnac. » The blaze is affecting around twenty hectares, producing a thick smoke plume drifting toward the A9 motorway.
Due to the reduced visibility, the A9 has been closed between Montpellier and Béziers. « Unfortunately, we’ll have to divert as much traffic as possible to the A75 to allow people to continue their journey and avoid being caught in congestion under the smoke, » said François-Xavier Loche.
Drivers are advised to avoid the area entirely
« We are right between Montpellier and Béziers, so this zone must be avoided, » the prefect emphasized. He confirmed that « significant aerial resources are currently deployed » and that the A9 will be reopened as soon as possible.
So far, firefighting efforts rely mainly on local Hérault resources. « More than twenty vehicles are engaged, nine intervention groups. We also have three Civil Security Dash aircraft, two smaller planes, and one command helicopter, » said the prefect.
At this stage, the fire cannot be fully assessed. « It’s a fire that started just an hour and fifteen minutes ago. We’re still ramping up the response. I’m not qualifying it yet, but we are deploying the necessary resources, » noted François-Xavier Loche. Preventative road closures remain in place for safety.
For drivers coming from the south (Barcelona, Toulouse), the advised route is through Béziers via the A75 northbound, then the A750 to reach Montpellier. From the north (Montpellier, Lyon), exit 32 at Saint-Jean-de-Védas via the A709, then follow the A750 to the A75 and head south toward Béziers to reconnect with the A9.
