France’s Largest Wildfire in Decades Contained but Still Burning; One Dead, Thousands Displaced

France’s worst wildfire in at least 50 years will continue to burn for several more days despite being brought under control, officials said Friday, as thousands of firefighters work to fully extinguish the flames.

The massive blaze in the southern department of Aude has scorched over 17,000 hectares — an area larger than Paris — killing one person, injuring 13, and destroying dozens of homes. Authorities confirmed the fire was contained Thursday night but warned it would not be declared extinguished for several days.

About 2,000 firefighters remain on the ground, and access to devastated forests will stay banned until at least Sunday due to downed power lines and other hazards. Nearly 2,000 residents forced to flee remain displaced, many sheltering in school gyms and village halls.

At its peak, the fire tore through roughly 1,000 hectares an hour, fueled by strong, shifting winds. A 65-year-old woman who refused to evacuate was found dead in her burned home; 11 of the injured are firefighters.

Prime Minister François Bayrou called the wildfire a “catastrophe on an unprecedented scale,” linking it to global warming and drought. Environment Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher said it is the largest fire in France since 1949. The Aude region, increasingly prone to wildfires due to low rainfall and the loss of vineyard buffers, has seen a rise in burned areas in recent years.

The disaster comes as Europe braces for new August heatwaves. In Spain, officials have contained a large blaze near Tarifa that began in a camper van at a beach campsite, forcing the evacuation of about 1,550 people and 5,500 vehicles. Spain is enduring temperatures near 40°C, with over 1,000 heat-related deaths reported in July.

Climate scientists warn that global warming is fueling longer, more intense heatwaves, creating ideal conditions for devastating wildfires.

France’s worst wildfire in at least 50 years will continue to burn for several more days despite being brought under control, officials said Friday, as thousands of firefighters work to fully extinguish the flames.

The massive blaze in the southern department of Aude has scorched over 17,000 hectares — an area larger than Paris — killing one person, injuring 13, and destroying dozens of homes. Authorities confirmed the fire was contained Thursday night but warned it would not be declared extinguished for several days.

About 2,000 firefighters remain on the ground, and access to devastated forests will stay banned until at least Sunday due to downed power lines and other hazards. Nearly 2,000 residents forced to flee remain displaced, many sheltering in school gyms and village halls.

At its peak, the fire tore through roughly 1,000 hectares an hour, fueled by strong, shifting winds. A 65-year-old woman who refused to evacuate was found dead in her burned home; 11 of the injured are firefighters.

Prime Minister François Bayrou called the wildfire a “catastrophe on an unprecedented scale,” linking it to global warming and drought. Environment Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher said it is the largest fire in France since 1949. The Aude region, increasingly prone to wildfires due to low rainfall and the loss of vineyard buffers, has seen a rise in burned areas in recent years.

The disaster comes as Europe braces for new August heatwaves. In Spain, officials have contained a large blaze near Tarifa that began in a camper van at a beach campsite, forcing the evacuation of about 1,550 people and 5,500 vehicles. Spain is enduring temperatures near 40°C, with over 1,000 heat-related deaths reported in July.

Climate scientists warn that global warming is fueling longer, more intense heatwaves, creating ideal conditions for devastating wildfires.