Almost 2,000 firefighters were deployed to battle the spread of one of France’s biggest wildfires that scorched a vast area, killing one person and injuring nine others. The blaze has damaged and destroyed
at least 25 homes in the southern Aude prefecture.
“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. This was the biggest wildfire in France this summer.
An elderly woman died after she refused to leave her home, one person has been reported missing and two people were injured, one of whom is now in critical condition with severe burns, according to the Aude prefecture. At least seven firefighters were injured by smoke inhalation.
French President Emmanuel Macron said, “All the resources of the Nation are being mobilized. Support for our firefighters and all forces battling the flames. Trust in the government and elected officials, who are fully committed. In this ordeal, everyone must exercise the utmost caution and follow the instructions of the authorities.”
L’incendie dans l’Aude progresse.
Tous les moyens de la Nation sont mobilisés. Soutien à nos sapeurs-pompiers ainsi qu’à nos forces luttant contre les flammes. Confiance au gouvernement et aux élus, pleinement engagés.
Dans cette épreuve,…
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 5, 2025
Several Roads Closed
The prefecture said the fire was progressing “very quickly” and that nearly 2,000 firefighters were trying to bring it under control. Around 2,500 households in the area were currently without electricity, it said. This is “a disaster of unprecedented scale”, firefighter spokesman Eric Brocardi told RTL radio.
Meanwhile, camping grounds and at least one village were partially evacuated, and several roads have been closed in light of the wildfire. French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou and Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau will visit the Aude on Wednesday.
“I left everything behind me,” David Cerdan, a 51-year-old who fled Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, where the elderly woman died,, told AFP. “I’m putting it into perspective. I only have material damage.”
The wildfire is the biggest in France so far in a summer which has already seen some 9,000 fires, mainly along its Mediterranean coast, according to the emergency management service.
“The fire is advancing in an area where all the conditions are ripe for it to progress,” Roesch said, adding that the planes were dropping water on the flames but the fire is likely to “keep us busy for several days.”
The Aude department in particular has seen an increase in areas burnt in recent years, aggravated by low rainfall and the removal of vineyards, which used to help slow down the advance of fires.
Some 24,000 hectares have burned in France since the start of the year, according to the European Union’s Copernicus weather and climate observatory.
Meanwhile, Spain is experiencing a prolonged heatwave since Sunday that was expected to extend into next week, with temperatures reaching 43 degrees Celsius in some areas.
(with inputs from agencies)
