news.cenet.topBiggest French wildfire since 1949 a 'catastrophe on an unprecedented scale'

[Desmond Milligan 0]

French firefighters continue to battle the spread of a wildfire in the south of the country that has left one person dead and burnt 17,000 hectares since Tuesday. It's the country's biggest blaze since 1949, according to the Minister for Ecological Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher.

The fire began late on Tuesday in the village of Ribaute in the southern Aude department, a rural, wooded area that is home to several wineries.

Some 2,000 firefighters were mobilised to control the blaze, with the aid of 500 trucks, four Canadair planes and helicopters equipped to drop water.

"The fire is still very active and the situation remains unfavourable," said Lucie Roesch, secretary-general of the Aude prefecture, citing drought conditions, rising temperatures and strong winds.

Planes were dropping water on the flames, but Roesch warned: "This fire will keep us busy for several days. It's a long-term operation."

'Remain cautious'

The blaze has already burned some 17,000 hectares of land – an area larger than the city of Paris, according to Colonel Christophe Magny, head of the Aude fire department.

Some 3,000 homes were still threatenend by the fire on Thursday, while around 1,000 people who had been evacuated in the area had not yet been allowed to return home.

"The objective is to stabilise the fire and halt its progress by the end of the day", Magny said, adding: "We have to remain cautious."

Firefighters warned that stronger winds were forecast for later on Thursday, when local temperatures were set to reach 32C.

A 65-year-old woman, who had refused to be evacuated, was found dead in her scorched house, while 13 people were injured, 11 of them firefighters, according to the Aude prefecture.

Around 36 homes and numerous cars have been destroyed.

Three people reported missing by their relatives have since been located, according to authorities.

'It looks like a lunar landscape'

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, who visited the affected region on Wednesday, described the fire as a "catastrophe on an unprecedented scale," and linked it to global warming.

He posted a message on social media pledging support to the firefighting crews, residents, elected officials and local winegrowers.

Jacques Piraux, mayor of the village of Jonquières, on Wednesday described scenes of sadness and desolation.

"It looks like a lunar landscape, everything is burned. More than half or three-quarters of the village has burned down. It’s hellish," he told French television channel BFM-TV.

David Cerdan, 51, fled Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, where the woman who had refused evacuation died.

"I'm putting it into perspective. I only have material damage," said Cerdan.

Far-reaching impact

People as far as 30 kilometres away from the fire have felt its impact. "The air is suffocating...the smell of burning has seeped into homes," said Serge de Souza, a local in the seaside town of Port-la-Nouvelle.

The frequency of wildfires is taking a toll on local residents, said Aude Damesin, who lives in the town of Fabrezan.

"It's terrible for the wildlife, the flora, and for the people who are losing everything," she said.

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An investigation has been opened into the cause of the fire, local officials said.

"All of the nation's resources are mobilised," President Emmanuel Macron said on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), calling on people to exercise "the utmost caution".

The European Union's crisis management commissioner, Hadja Lahbib, said on X: "The EU stands ready to mobilise international support, if needed."

The Aude department has seen an increase in areas burnt in recent years, aggravated by low rainfall and the uprooting of vineyards, which used to help slow down the advance of fires.

This summer has already seen some 9,000 fires, mainly along the Mediterranean coast, according to the French emergency management service.

(with newswires)

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