France’s biggest wildfire of the summer has eclipsed the size of Paris and is still spreading
France’s biggest wildfire of the summer has eclipsed the size of Paris and is still spreading
PARIS (AP) — France’s biggest wildfire this summer was spreading quickly Wednesday in a Mediterranean region near the Spanish border after leaving one person dead, authorities said. The fire had burned an area larger than Paris.
French Prime Minister François Bayrou deplored a “disaster on an unprecedented scale” in the region.
Over 2,100 firefighters and several water bomber aircraft battled the blaze that broke out Tuesday afternoon in the village of Ribaute in the Aude region, a rural, wooded area that is home to wineries.
The fire, which has burned 13,000 hectares (32,000 acres), remained “very active” on Wednesday, the local administration said in a statement. The weather was hot, dry and windy, making it difficult for firefighters to contain the blaze.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said the military will reinforce efforts starting from Thursday, with several dozens of soldiers to be deployed.
One person died in their home, and at least 13 others were injured, including 11 firefighters, local authorities said. One person who was initially described as missing has been located and is safe.
Jacques Piraux, mayor of the village of Jonquières, said all residents have been evacuated.
“It’s a scene of sadness and desolation,” he told broadcaster BFM TV after he visited Wednesday morning. “It looks like a lunar landscape, everything is burned. More than half or three-quarters of the village has burned down. It’s hellish.”
Residents and tourists in nearby areas were requested to remain in their homes unless told to evacuate. Two campsites were evacuated as a precaution.
The prime minister met Wednesday afternoon with firefighters and residents at Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, where the fire service’s command post has been set up. He said he came to express “national solidarity.”
The area’s economy is relying on winery and tourism and “both sectors are affected,” he stressed.
Bayrou said an investigation is ongoing to determine the cause of the fire.
The environment ministry said the Aude region has been experiencing a drought this month, with water use restrictions in place. Lack of rainfall in recent months “played a major role in the spreading of the fire, since the vegetation is very dry,” the statement said.
Southern Europe has seen multiple large fires this summer. Scientists warn that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness, making the region more vulnerable to wildfires. Last month, a wildfire that reached the southern port of Marseille, France’s second-largest city, left around 300 people injured.
Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, with temperatures increasing at twice the speed of the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
By SYLVIE CORBET
Associated Press
