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Satellite and forecast figures refreshed 11 August 2026 at 10:58 UK time. Fire and disruption reporting verified against official sources the same day. Conditions change hourly during fires. National authorities are always right. In danger anywhere in the EU, call 112.

Arrens-Marsous and the Val d'Azun destination risk · checked against official sources 11 August 2026 at 09:47 UK time

Arrens-Marsous and the Val d'Azun Wildfire Risk: Should I Travel?

A fire started by lightning has been burning on the slopes above Arrens-Marsous since 3 August. The commune and the fire service said it was contained and put nobody at risk. Nothing in the valley has been closed.

Short answer: Travel to the Val d'Azun is going ahead normally. The fire broke out on the afternoon of Monday 3 August on the mountainside above Arrens-Marsous, around the crêtes de Bassiarey and the Penes d'Aoubes, shortly after a thunderstorm passed over. Firefighters told Tarbes Infos that lightning was the likely cause even though they found no strike mark on the ground, that the fire was burning grass on a slope they could not reach, and that it was contained and posed no danger to people or to the woodland around it. They kept it under constant watch. The commune said on Tuesday 4 August that the fire had picked up again that day and that firefighters were on site handling it. No road has been reported cut, nobody has been reported evacuated and no path closure has been announced. The commune's own noticeboard carried no fire notice on the morning of 11 August. What is in force across the whole department, and has been since 27 July, is the préfecture's forest order: no fire may be lit in woodland or within 200 metres of it, motor vehicles may not leave surfaced roads inside the massifs, and going into them at all is strongly discouraged.

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What is still disrupted in Arrens-Marsous and the Val d'Azun

Checked against Tarbes Infos and the Préfecture des Hautes-Pyrénées, read 11 August 2026 on 2026-08-11. Conditions change daily during and after a fire, and the source below is the authority.

Tarbes Infos and the Préfecture des Hautes-Pyrénées, read 11 August 2026 →

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Nothing is closed

No road, path, campsite or hotel in the Val d'Azun has been reported closed because of this fire. Travel and book normally, and take your host's word over a satellite map.

The forest order applies to you

Since 27 July the préfecture has banned lighting fires in woodland or within 200 metres of it anywhere in the Hautes-Pyrénées, and banned driving off surfaced roads inside the massifs. It runs until the weather changes, with no end date given.

Work hours in the woods

The same order confines professional work in forest areas to between 5am and 10am, with harvesting allowed from midnight to midday, and bans non-professional work outright. If you are staying somewhere that runs machinery, expect early starts.

Ask before you walk the high ground

The burn is on the slopes towards the crêtes de Bassiarey and the Penes d'Aoubes. No closure has been announced there, but ground that has recently burned sheds rock. Ask at the mairie or your accommodation which way to go.

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Not spreading, still dangerous in Arrens-Marsous and the Val d'Azun

The fire near Arrens-Marsous and the Val d'Azun is not growing, but still dangerous. Stabilised is a fire service term and it does not mean out, or safe: it means the fire is being held rather than growing. Crews, closures and evacuation orders can all still be in place, and wind can change the picture within hours. Check the official sources below before you travel, and follow local authorities over this page.

Sources used for this page

France travel advice

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Insurance questions

What to ask if wildfire affects a booking or route.

Europe Fire Map is travel decision support, not an emergency service or an official incident feed. Conditions can change faster than this page. Follow local authorities, accommodation providers and emergency services first. In danger anywhere in the EU, call 112.

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