Firefighting efforts in southwestern France continued today, aiming to prevent the rekindling of the largest wildfire the country has faced in decades, according to a spokesperson for the firefighting unit.
The spokesperson indicated that these operations would persist at least through Sunday evening.
Currently, around 1,500 firefighters are stationed in the Aude region. The blaze began in the village of Ripois, situated between Carcassonne and Narbonne, last Tuesday afternoon, rapidly spreading and consuming over 16,000 hectares of land due to dry and windy weather conditions.
Reports suggest that by Thursday evening, control over the fire had been established, marking the incident as the most extensive land destruction since the wildfires of 1949.
The fire has impacted residents in 16 municipalities, forcing many to evacuate the area, and some homes were damaged by the flames.
Tragically, one woman lost her life, and five civilians, along with 19 firefighters, sustained injuries.
While road access has been restored, the forests in the affected areas remain closed.