Caravan fire spreads to cypress trees: seven top-floor apartments destroyed in Les Sorinières

AireServices has opened a new connected service area for motorhomes in Cerdon (Loiret), located on the edge of the communal pond. The facility covers 2,500 m² and offers eight pitches, with integration into the Qipeo app for remote booking, payment, and service activation, as well as real-time information. The price is €5.88 per 24 hours, and the site is open year-round.

In France, 15 caravans blocked a parking lot at the lower station of the Téléphérique du Salève in Étrembières near Geneva, causing the cable car to Mont Salève to stop for two days. Mayor Nicolas Tereins said operations were halted because buses could no longer stop at the station. During peak season, up to 1,000 people per day use the cable car, and the interruption is estimated to have caused €10,000 in lost revenue. The cable car is expected to reopen on Wednesday, with operators working on alternative parking.

On August 16, around 250–300 caravans occupied a private plot near the Laurent-Ricci sports ground in Saint-André-de-Cubzac, sparking reactions on social media. Mayor Mickaël Courseaux stated that the installation occurred without authorization from the municipality or the owner. The group had initially planned to go to a site in the Arcachon basin but was unable due to fires. Authorities took measures to ensure safety, manage waste, and began discussions for compensation. The mayor also proposed revising the departmental plan for traveler accommodation.

An administrative court ruled that height-restricting barriers and camper-specific parking bans in La Faute-sur-Mer and Longeville-sur-Mer (Vendée) are illegal. The barriers in La Faute-sur-Mer must be removed as they were not justified by a real danger. In Longeville-sur-Mer, signs banning campers were invalidated because the pictogram is not in the French Highway Code and the procedure was flawed. The court affirmed that campers are treated as cars for parking but allowed targeted restrictions if properly enacted. France saw 25,629 camper registrations in the 2023-2024 season.

French municipalities install height barriers to keep motorhomes off regular parking spots, but such measures are not always legal. In 2024, an administrative court in Nantes ordered two municipalities in Vendée (Longeville-sur-Mer and La Faute-sur-Mer) to remove barriers and signs and pay €1,500 each in legal costs to the CLC. However, in April 2026, a court in Bordeaux upheld a parking restriction for motorhomes in Royan, citing road safety and coastal protection. Motorhomes are classified as M1 vehicles, but this does not grant unlimited parking rights, nor does it allow overnight camping outside designated areas.

A camper fire spread to a house in Thil, northwest of Toulouse, overnight on August 26. Three people were injured, two seriously.