A massive wildfire in southern France has burned through 12,000 hectares (27,000 acres) of vegetation, leaving one elderly woman dead and two people injured, one critically with severe burns, local officials said on Wednesday.
The blaze, which began on Tuesday in the Aude department, has destroyed or damaged 25 homes and continues to threaten several villages. Around 1,800 firefighters are battling the flames, with emergency services warning that extinguishing the fire will be a “long-term operation”.
“The fire is advancing in an area where all the conditions are ripe for it to progress. We are monitoring the edges and the back of the fire to prevent flare-ups,” said Lucie Roesch, secretary general of the Aude prefecture.
Officials said the fire’s spread has slowed due to high humidity levels, but unfavourable weather conditions — including strong winds, rising temperatures and dry vegetation — are expected to persist. Several roads have been closed, with camping grounds and part of one village evacuated.
French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X that “all of the Nation’s resources are mobilised”, urging the public to exercise “the utmost caution”.
The Aude prefecture noted that low rainfall and the removal of vineyards, which once acted as natural firebreaks, have contributed to the increased risk.
Emergency services said the blaze is the largest in France this year, in a summer that has already seen around 9,000 fires, mainly along the Mediterranean coast.
Prime Minister Francois Bayrou is scheduled to visit the affected area on Wednesday, his office confirmed.
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