Firefighters battle to prevent reignition of France's largest wildfire as residents return home
Aude prefect Christian Pouget said the fire has been contained since Thursday after burning this week more than 160 square kilometers (62 square miles) in the wooded region, known for its wineries. All roads have been reopened but authorities issued a strict ban on accessing the forest, Pouget said at a news conference on Saturday.
'The fight is continuing, firefighters are still working on (fire) re-ignition,' he said.
The blaze left one person dead and 25 people have been injured, including 19 firefighters, Pouget said.
High temperatures in the coming days are expected to complicate firefighters' efforts.
'The fire won't be extinguished for several weeks,' Col. Christophe Magny, director of Aude firefighters department, said, pointing to several 'hot spots' that are being closely monitored.
France's national weather agency Meteo France placed the southern half of France under 'high vigilance' alert for heat wave, with temperatures expected in the Aude region of up to 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit) on Saturday.
Southern Europe has seen multiple large fires this summer. Scientists warn that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness, making the region more vulnerable to wildfires.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Major incident declared as huge fire rages on Dorset heath
A major incident has been declared after 100 firefighters were called out to tackle a huge blaze raging on Dorset heathland. The wildfire, which prompted 20 homes to be evacuated, measured around 1,000 metres by 800 metres on Saturday evening, with fire crews working through the night and into Sunday morning to contain the blaze. The fire at Holt Heath, near Wimborne, spread rapidly due to windy conditions fanning the flames. All those who fled their homes on Saturday evening have now returned but residents have been advised to keep their doors and windows closed due to the dense smoke billowing from the site. On Sunday morning, the fire service said that steady progress had been made through the night to suppress the spread of the fire - with around 69 hectares of land affected. A second heath fire, which affected 21 hectares of land at Newton Heath near Swanage, is also still burning. Firefighters have been tackling that blaze since last Sunday. Assistant Chief Fire Officer Darren Langdown said on Saturday: 'We have declared a major incident both due to the size of the fire at Holt Heath, and also the impact of this and Newton Heath on our overall availability of resources. 'We are extremely grateful to our neighbouring services for the support they are giving us, and I can only praise all of our staff who are working so hard in extremely arduous conditions to bring these fires under control.' He added: 'I would ask the public to help us by staying away from the affected areas; the fire at Holt Heath, in particular, is spreading rapidly and anyone trying to see what's going on could be cut off very easily. We would also ask photographers not to fly drones near the fire, as we are using drones provided by Wessex Rescue to help us direct our firefighting.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Thousands evacuate as wildfire rapidly spreads in Southern California
A rapidly growing wildfire in Southern California has prompted thousands of residents to be evacuated and it continues to grow as heat and dry conditions fuel the rapid spread. The Canyon Fire ignited early Thursday afternoon and by Friday it had expanded to about 4,850 acres, according to The New York Times. According to CNN, Thursday was the hottest day of the year for much of the area with temperatures reaching 100 degrees and higher. Dry winds have also contributed to the rapid spread of the fire. Because of the fire, over 2,700 people have been asked to evacuate and 14,000 more have received evacuation warnings, according to BBC. Most of the evacuations have taken place in Los Angeles County but there have also been evacuation orders in Ventura County. As of Friday, the fire has been partially contained and 25% of the perimeter is under control. On Thursday the fire destroyed at least two structures. The fire is burning just south of Lake Piru, a reservoir near the Los Padres National Forest about 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles, per BBC. The Gifford Fire nears 'megafire' status The Canyon Fire is not the only major fire currently burning in California and a massive fire is currently blazing through the central part of the state. The Gifford fire is the state's largest wildfire of the year and as of Thursday evening had burned over 99,000 acres. The fire will reach 'megafire' status if it grows to 100,000 acres, per The Weather Channel. This blaze grew out of at least four smaller fires last week along State Route 166 and is burning in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. As of Thursday evening it was 15% contained, according to The New York Times. There have also been evacuation orders from the Gifford Fire and over 800 structures remain threatened by the blaze. According to The Weather Channel, there are over 2,200 personnel working to fight the fire. According to NBC Los Angeles, there have been over 4,400 wildfires reported in California this year burning a total of 221,100 acres.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Central California issues evacuation orders after wildfire burns 72,000 acres
A huge wildfire in central California has threatened hundreds of homes, with blazes churning through the brush-covered hillsides in Los Padres national forest. At least three people were reported injured, and more than 450 structures were under threat by the Gifford fire, officials said on Monday. The fire had scorched more than 72,000 acres (29,000 hectares) as of Monday evening, after the blaze grew out of several smaller fires that erupted Friday along State Route 166 between Santa Maria and Bakersfield. The fire was burning along coastal Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, north of Los Angeles. By Monday night, the fire was considered 5% contained, according to the CalFire state agency. Officials had earlier cautioned residents conditions could rapidly change due to erratic fire behavior. Hotter and drier weather in the forecast is expected to 'facilitate rapid and sustained fire growth', according to an incident report issued on Monday. Related: Two wildfires in US west spur 'fire clouds' with erratic weather systems More than 1,000 firefighters were scrambling to make progress against the flames, before so-called sundowner winds whip up around dusk. The National Weather Service had said gusts could reach 25mph (40km/h) in the fire area. The cause of the fire is under investigation. One motorist suffered burn injuries after getting out of his vehicle and being overrun by flames and was forced to be hospitalized, according to Flemming Bertelson, a US Forest Service spokesperson. Two contract workers helping firefighters also suffered injuries when their all-terrain vehicle overturned. Ranchers were also forced to evacuate cattle as aircrafts conducted water drops on rapidly spreading flames, the Associated Press reported. Don Fregulia, an operations section chief for the California interagency incident management team, said in a Monday afternoon update that firefighters were battling 'extremely challenging and difficult terrain' in the San Rafael Wilderness area, which is part of the national forest. He said smoke was making it difficult for aircrafts to see and authorities were using infrared. There was cleaner air on the northern area of the fire, he said, and firefighters had some success containing the spread in certain areas. A heatwave could exacerbate fire risks later this week, with temperatures expected to climb above 100F (38C) in parts of inland southern California from Wednesday through at least Saturday, the LA Times reported. The heat is also expected to impact inland areas in the northern part of the state. Conditions across California continue to be primed for high fire risk after a warmer and drier spring left landscapes parched. Fire activity typically accelerates in the state around the end of summer and into autumn, but wildfire activity has already been trending above normal, according to CalFire.
