France wildfire destroys area 1.5 times bigger than Paris
The blaze, located in the Aude region near the Spanish border, has resulted in one fatality, three people missing, and two critically injured, including a firefighter.
Dozens of homes have been destroyed, with entire villages like Jonquières evacuated and described as a 'lunar landscape' due to the extensive damage.
Although the fire is advancing more slowly, officials say it is not yet under control, and an investigation is underway to determine its cause.
The region's economy, heavily reliant on wine production and tourism, has been significantly impacted.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Telegraph
Eurostar delayed? Here's how to spend your wait around the Gare du Nord
Just last week, there was misery for Eurostar passengers when a section of the French rail network was temporarily closed, leading to cancelled trains and passengers urged to delay their plans. Eurostar delays are no fun, especially, in my opinion, if you're stuck on the return leg of your journey from the UK. The 10th arrondissement around the Gare du Nord is arguably the least inspiring quartier of Paris. But there are ways to spend your extra time in this corner of the French capital with a bit more flair. Explore just a little further beyond the station and you can access some of Paris's coolest museums, cultural centres and bars while you wait for your train to arrive. Having lived in France since 2013, I travel to Paris monthly and across the Channel to see family so regularly the Eurostar often feels like my standard commute. Below I outline how to spend your Eurostar delay time – all the suggestions below are under 30-minutes' walk from the Gare du Nord (top tip: store your luggage and get there even faster on a Lime Bike or Vélib'). Things to do Saint-Quentin covered market (Marché couvert Saint-Quentin) Stock up at the market After discovering this local gem, you'll never settle for a mediocre sandwich at Gare du Nord again. The covered market is home to a plethora of world cuisines, including Senegalese, Lebanese and Brazilian, or keep it traditional with a platter of oysters. There's also a great caviste for your wine needs and (check ever-changing import rules before buying) several cheesemongers. Opening times: 8am–8pm, Tues–Sat; 8am–1:30pm, Sun Distance from station: Nine-minute walk Price: Free Point Éphémère Mingle with East Paris's cool cats Gritty, urban and impossibly edgy, this former docks-turned-cultural centre on the banks of Canal Saint-Martin has a diverse events schedule. Massive open-air concerts, exhibitions, talks, or maybe a protest or two — it attracts a tattooed, pierced kind of crowd. If there's nothing on (rare), it's worth going for the waterside bar and roof terrace. Distance from station: 19-minute walk Price: Free Bibliothèque nationale de France Dive into a good book Hogwarts' library looks bland in comparison to the BNF. There are over 20,000 books in the Oval Room, but it's difficult to concentrate on reading when the setting is so beautiful. This 17th-century palace has giant globes, tapestries on the walls, and both painted and glass ceilings. Distance from station: 30-minute walk Price: Free for the Oval Room, £ for the on-site museum with temporary exhibitions Musée des Arts et Métiers Explore the world's greatest minds This museum of inventions shows everything from the first planes to astrolabes and telecommunications devices. It's easily walkable from Gare du Nord, but catch the metro one way to admire the metro station, copper-plated and designed to look like Jules Verne's fictional submarine Nautilus. Website: Distance from station: 24-minute walk Price: £ Le Centquatre Dip into East Paris's eclectic arts scene It's worth looking up the programme at this cultural centre before you go, as there's a rotating selection of theatre, circus performances, roller blading parties, exhibitions and more. When no specific events are happening (or your train delay is too short), there are plenty of boutiques, restaurants and regular artisan markets. Website: Distance from station: 27-minute walk Price: Free Cimetière de Saint-Vincent Unleash your inner necrotourist Quieter and significantly smaller than Père Lachaise, Montmartre's cemetery, higgledy-piggledy among the tall buildings, has its fair share of celebrities, although largely of French fame rather than international. You don't have to know the names of the people buried there to appreciate it though, the charm is in the elaborate headstones and sculptures, shaped like little houses and giant, winged angels. Opening times: 8am–6pm daily Distance from station: 30-minute walk Price: Free Artazart Design Bookstore Discover Paris through the lens Specialising in very visual tomes on illustration and photography, with a large collection of indie magazines, this is the perfect bookshop for coffee-table books. There are also prints for sale, and a stationery section. It's more than a little hipster, but very aesthetically pleasing. There's a children's book section too. Distance from station: 19-minute walk Price: Free (books ££) Where to eat and drink Maison de la Culture Arménienne A slice of Armenia in the heart of Paris One of the largest Armenian diaspora in the world is in France, with some 150,000 French Armenians living in Paris. This restaurant is somewhat of an institution. Expect specialities like manti (steamed dumplings) and lavash, a tablecloth-long flatbread. Dirt cheap and full of atmosphere. Contact: +33 1 48 24 63 89 Opening times: 12–3pm and 7–11pm Mon–Sat Distance from station: 15-minute walk Price: £ Canal Saint-Martin Take a break along a 19th century shipping lane Canal Saint-Martin is lively, and a great place for a stroll. Depending on the length of your delay, walking the entire canal is only 4.5km, although around half of it is underground (footpaths stay on the surface). Along the banks are heaps of waterside bars and restaurants for refreshments. Try Bisou, which tailor-makes cocktails for each client. Distance from station: 20-minute walk Price: Free Le Syndicat While away the time over happy hour Slightly time-warped, with moody lighting and oodles of gold, this cocktail bar is all about creativity. Drinks like the PBJ (made with armagnac, strawberry liqueur, peanut butter and eau de vie) are served to a hip-hop soundtrack, and liquors typically considered passé are reinvented, with many cocktails built around things like Cognac. Distance from station: 16-minute walk Price: ££ About our expert Anna Richards first moved to Paris in 2013 during her studies. Now she lives in Lyon, and with family and friends on both sides of the Channel, she's taken the Eurostar so many times it feels like her regular commute.
The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
The new swimming spot offering unparalleled Eiffel Tower views
Public swimming has returned to the River Seine in Paris for the first time in over a century, with three sites opening in July. This historic reintroduction is the result of a monumental €1.4 billion clean-up operation, which also prepared the river for Olympic competitions in 2024. Thousands of people have already taken a dip, with sites attracting between 800 and 1,200 visitors daily. They are expected to draw more crowds amid a heatwave that is gripping Europe. Water quality is rigorously tested daily to ensure compliance with European regulations, though sites have faced closures due to rain increasing pollution upstream. Swimmers must be aged 10 or 14 and over, depending on the location, and are required to wear a yellow buoy for safety, with lifeguards monitoring the sites.
The Independent
5 hours ago
- The Independent
Tourists embrace new favourite pastime as heatwave scorches Paris
Swimming in the Seine has rapidly become a cherished new pastime for Parisians and a burgeoning attraction for visitors to the French capital. Thousands have already taken the plunge since three public bathing sites opened in July – marking the first time in over a century that the river has been officially accessible for public dips. The newly accessible areas are anticipated to draw even larger crowds as a heatwave sweeps across the region from Tuesday. Paris has been placed under "high vigilance" by national weather service Meteo France, with temperatures forecast to reach up to 38 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit). At the Grenelle site in western Paris, bathers enjoy unparalleled views of the Eiffel Tower, with small fish darting beneath the surface. The return of public swimming marks a significant shift; bathing in the Seine had been prohibited since 1923, with only a few exceptions, due to severe pollution and risks from river navigation. The historic reintroduction is the result of a monumental €1.4 billion (£1.21 billion) clean-up operation, which rendered the river suitable for Olympic competitions in 2024. Water quality is now rigorously tested daily to ensure compliance with European regulations. 'Imagine that,' said Constanze Martens, a tourist from Mexico. 'Swimming with [a] view of the Eiffel Tower and in pure natural water, clean, safe, and with all these lovely people too, you have every age here." On Monday, the water temperature in the Seine was 22 degrees Celsius (71 Fahrenheit). 'It's quite warm, warmer than the sea, which was quite surprising, and is very pleasant,' said Elisabeth Lorin, from Paris's eastern suburb of Montreuil. Until the end of August, bathing sites are open for free at scheduled times to anyone 10 or older or 14 or older, depending on the location. Details are in the Paris city hall website, in English as well. Each swimmer must be equipped with a yellow buoy, attached to their waist, for safety reasons. There are changing rooms with lockers. The site welcomes between 800 and 1,200 visitors per day, with a limit of 200 at any one time, said the manager of the Grenelle site, Yann Forêt. Paris Deputy Mayor Pierre Rabadan last week said over 40,000 people had swum at the sites since they opened on 5 July. That is despite almost two weeks of closures largely due to rainy weather, which increases water pollution upstream. 'Right now, the water quality is excellent and we have optimal conditions with warm weather,' Mr Rabadan said on Monday. He said the daily decision to open the sites depends on weather conditions and factors including water flow rate and any known pollution. Several lifeguards monitor the sites, occasionally using their whistles to remind swimmers not to jump or leave the perimeter. No major incident has been reported, Mr Rabadan said. Marina Gicquel, a 22-year-old lifeguard at Grenelle, said the main difference from a swimming pool is the river current, along with the murky water. 'You can only see people's heads sticking out. That's why buoys are useful. "And it's also quite deep. It's three to five metres (10 to 16 feet) deep, so people find no foothold.' Some visitors, like Australian Thurkka Jeyakumar, had been skeptical about swimming in the Seine, citing the river's murky color and bacteria issues. Unsafe levels of E. coli or other bacteria appear during prolonged periods of rain that overwhelm pipes, leading untreated wastewater to flow into the river instead of a treatment plant. In 2024, some Olympic competitions were postponed for that reason. In the end, Ms Jeyakumar gave it a try because she lost a bet. 'For the moment, I have to say that it was much nicer and cleaner than I thought it would be," she said. "So the bet worked out for the better!'
