A rapidly spreading wildfire in the Aude region of southern France, close to the Spanish border, has already scorched around 8,000 hectares of forest, as confirmed by local authorities on Tuesday evening, according to reports from DPA, Reuters, and AFP.
Over 1,250 firefighters have been dispatched to tackle the blaze, which is advancing at an unusually swift rate, driven by strong winds, as noted by Colonel Alexandre Jouassard, spokesperson for France’s civil protection agency, during an interview with BFMTV.
So far, two individuals have sustained injuries, and officials caution that efforts to control the fire overnight are unlikely to be effective due to the tough weather conditions. The fire reportedly ignited in the Corbières mountains near the village of Ribaute.
French President Emmanuel Macron took to social media platform X to announce that the fire is still spreading and that “all national resources have been mobilized” to aid in the emergency response.
The Aude department has experienced a rise in wildfires in recent years, largely due to prolonged drought and the removal of vineyards, which used to serve as natural firebreaks.
