French authorities remain on high alert after containing the nation’s largest wildfire in decades, which ravaged over 160 square kilometers (62 square miles) of the Aude wine region in southern France. The fire, which began on August 5 near the village of Ribaute, claimed one life, injured 13 others—including 11 firefighters—and forced approximately 2,000 residents and tourists to evacuate. Despite containment, forecasts of temperatures exceeding 30°C (86°F) during an impending heatwave raise concerns about potential reignition.

The blaze, described as a “catastrophe on an unprecedented scale” by Prime Minister François Bayrou, scorched 15 communes in the Corbières mountain region, destroying or damaging at least 36 homes and 8–9 square kilometers of vineyards, severely impacting the region’s winemaking and tourism industries. Region administrator Christian Pouget noted that around 1,000 people remain displaced, with roads blocked and 1,500 households still without electricity as of August 7. Emergency shelters across 17 municipalities have housed evacuees, with local communities like Tuchan providing food and beds to over 200 displaced residents from Durban-Corbières.

France’s Minister for Ecological Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, labeled the fire the worst since 1949, attributing its intensity to climate change and prolonged drought. The blaze, the largest since France’s national fire database began in 2006, spread rapidly due to strong winds, dry vegetation, and months of water scarcity, with the Aude region under drought restrictions since August 1. Local winemakers highlighted the loss of vineyards, which once served as natural firebreaks, as a factor in the fire’s rapid spread.

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Over 2,100 firefighters, supported by water-bombing aircraft, battled the blaze, which covered an area 1.5 times the size of Paris in just three days. While cooler overnight temperatures aided containment efforts, authorities warn the fire remains active, with investigations ongoing to determine its cause. The European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service notes that Europe, the world’s fastest-warming continent, faces increasing wildfire risks due to climate-driven heat and dryness, as evidenced by a recent Marseille fire that injured 300 people.

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