France is currently battling the country’s largest wildfire in 80 years in the Aude region in the south of the country near the Spanish border. The second day of the blaze is spreading rapidly, covering an area larger than Paris.
According to the local prefecture, one person has died in the village of Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, located around 30 kilometres from Perpignan. The wildfire has swept through villages and forested areas, destroying at least 25 homes and prompting the evacuation of both residents and tourists to safer areas. Several roads in the region have been closed.
Prime Minister François Bayrou, speaking in Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, described the incident as a “breathtakingly vast tragedy.”
“The disaster is a disaster of unprecedented scale,” Bayrou told journalists during a visit of the affected town, adding that an investigation on the cause of the blaze was ongoing.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau stated that the fire has so far destroyed more than 15,000 hectares of land – equivalent to the total area burned in recent years by wildfires across France. He added that this is the largest area affected by a wildfire in the country since 1949.
The prefecture reported that the fire is spreading rapidly, with approximately 2,000 firefighters mobilised to contain the blaze. As a result of the fire, more than 2,500 homes in the region are without electricity.
Fire service spokesperson Éric Brocardi told RTL radio that the fire is advancing at a speed of 5.5 kilometres per hour (around 3.4 miles per hour).
Scientists say the Mediterranean region's hotter, drier summers put it at high risk of wildfires. Once fires start, plentiful dry vegetation and strong winds in the region can cause them to spread rapidly and burn out of control.
“Today's event is linked to global warming and drought. We need to think about this with local elected officials and professional leader… We need to think about what tomorrow might bring," Bayrou said.
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