France is battling its worst wildfire in 75 years, a massive blaze that has scorched an area larger than Paris and while authorities on early Friday said it is now under control, they warn it could still burn for days.
The inferno, which erupted on Tuesday near the village of Ribaute in the southern Aude region, has already consumed more than 17,000 hectares (42,000 acres) of land.
A woman has died, and 13 others including 11 firefighters, have been injured, with two victims in critical condition.
Over 2,000 firefighters, supported by 500 emergency vehicles, gendarmerie units, army personnel, and water-bombing aircraft, remain on the front lines.
Despite progress, Aude prefect Christian Pouget cautioned that the fire cannot yet be declared extinguished, noting, “There is still a lot of work ahead.”
The destruction is so extensive that access to the burned forests has been banned until at least Sunday, with roads in the area deemed dangerous due to fallen power lines and other hazards.
Satellite images taken on Thursday reveal vast swathes of charred land and lingering smoke plumes, underscoring the scale of the disaster.
Seventeen temporary shelters have been opened for displaced residents, while villages in the Corbières region remain on high alert.
In Jonquières, where roughly 80% of the village has been destroyed, Mayor Jacques Piraud described the scene as “black, the trees completely charred” and called it “dramatic.”
Prime Minister François Bayrou, visiting the area on Wednesday, called the fire “a catastrophe on an unprecedented scale” and linked it to global warming and drought, an assessment echoed by Environment Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher.
Officials say the flames spread rapidly due to a deadly combination of strong winds, parched vegetation, and intense summer heat.
President Emmanuel Macron has vowed that “all of the nation’s resources are mobilised” to combat the crisis and urged the public to exercise “the utmost caution” as firefighting operations continue.