A wildfire in the Aude department of southern France, which has burned an area larger than Paris, is now under control, according to French authorities. Despite this, the fire is expected to continue burning for several days as approximately 2,000 firefighters remain on the scene to extinguish it.
The blaze, described by Prime Minister Francois Bayrou as a “catastrophe on an unprecedented scale,” has claimed one life and injured 13 people, including 11 firefighters. Dozens of homes have been destroyed. The fire’s rapid spread was attributed to strong winds and dry conditions, exacerbated by climate change. Access to the affected forests has been banned due to dangers such as fallen power lines.
This fire is the largest in France’s Mediterranean region in over 50 years and comes after a summer that has seen around 9,000 wildfires across the country. The region’s vulnerability to such blazes is increasing due to low rainfall and the removal of vineyards, which previously helped to slow the spread of fires.