XPost: europa.ecologia

*France's biggest wildfire this summer was spreading quickly Wednesday
in a Mediterranean region near the Spanish border after leaving one
person dead, authorities said. The fire had burned an area larger than
Paris*

France's biggest wildfire this summer was spreading quickly Wednesday
in a Mediterranean region near the Spanish border after leaving one
person dead, authorities said. The fire had burned an area larger than
Paris.

French Prime Minister François Bayrou deplored a "disaster on an
unprecedented scale" in the region.

Over 2,100 firefighters and several water bomber aircraft battled the
blaze that broke out Tuesday afternoon in the village of Ribaute in the
Aude region, a rural, wooded area that is home to wineries.

The fire, which has burned 13,000 hectares (32,000 acres), remained
"very active" on Wednesday, the local administration said in a
statement. The weather was hot, dry and windy, making it difficult for firefighters to contain the blaze.

Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said the military will reinforce
efforts starting from Thursday, with several dozens of soldiers to be
deployed.

One person died in their home, and at least 13 others were injured,
including 11 firefighters, local authorities said. One person who was
initially described as missing has been located and is safe.

Jacques Piraux, mayor of the village of Jonquières, said all residents
have been evacuated.

"It's a scene of sadness and desolation," he told broadcaster BFM TV
after he visited Wednesday morning. "It looks like a lunar landscape, everything is burned. More than half or three-quarters of the village
has burned down. It's hellish."

This photo provided by the Securite Civile shows an aerial view of the
wildfire in a Mediterranean region near the Spanish border, southern
France, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025. Credit: Securite Civile via AP
Residents and tourists in nearby areas were requested to remain in
their homes unless told to evacuate. Two campsites were evacuated as a precaution.

The prime minister met Wednesday afternoon with firefighters and
residents at Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, where the fire service's
command post has been set up. He said he came to express "national
solidarity."

The area's economy is relying on winery and tourism and "both sectors
are affected," he stressed.

Bayrou said an investigation is ongoing to determine the cause of the
fire.

The environment ministry said the Aude region has been experiencing a
drought this month, with water use restrictions in place. Lack of
rainfall in recent months "played a major role in the spreading of the
fire, since the vegetation is very dry," the statement said.

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. Last
month, a wildfire that reached the southern port of Marseille, France's second-largest city, left around 300 people injured.

Europe is the world's fastest-warming continent, with temperatures
increasing at twice the speed of the global average since the 1980s,
according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service.

https://phys.org/news/2025-08-france-biggest-wildfire-summer-eclipsed.html

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