Three vegetation fires broke out in quick succession on July 8 near the Burgundy Grands Crus. The massive intervention of the firefighters made it possible to contain the flames before they reached the vineyard plots, but some winegrowers are worried about the risk of smoke tasting.
By Marion Bazireau On 09 July 2026
July 8 was particularly hot for the Côte d'Or vineyards. A first fire started shortly before 1 p.m. in the Mercedes garage located in the town of Nuits-Saint-Georges. A second broke out less than two hours later, in the valley, just opposite. A third fire broke out at 4 p.m. on the heights of Volnay. All afternoon, hundreds of firefighters from four departments, residents and winegrowers took turns to limit the damage, as reported by our colleagues from Bien Public.
The vineyard was spared
By the end of the day, the three lights were fixed. At 10:30 p.m., the Philippe Gavignet estate reassured its Instagram community. "On this day marked by the fires that affected Nuits-Saint-Georges, we would like to inform you that the vineyard was spared." On July 9, Thiébault Huber confirmed that "the combe fire covered dozens of hectares without reaching the vines." According to the president of the Confederation of Burgundy Wine Appellations (CAVB), the firefighters managed to overcome the flames without using a retardant product. "In Nuits-Saint-Georges, some winegrowers are worried about the risk of a smoke taste, but in Volnay the fire remained too far from the plots to impact the harvest," he believes.
If the situation is more favorable this Thursday morning, the SDIS 21 once again calls on the population to exercise the utmost caution. The high temperatures forecast and the persistent dryness of the vegetation keep the department at a very high level of risk.
Vitisphere photo credit: SDIS 21
