Since Tuesday afternoon, a natural fire has been raging in the south of France that has now covered an area larger than the municipality of Utrecht (more than 11,000 hectares) and has cost the lives of one woman. Nine other people were injured and someone else is missing. French media speak of “the biggest fire in France this summer”.
The fire broke out near the municipality of Ribaute, in the Corbières massif between Narbonne and Carcassonne. According to the French authorities, the fire spreads “very quickly” due to the strong wind.
Two firefighters are in the hospital, one citizen is in a critical condition. In total, at least 25 homes were damaged or completely destroyed, and around thirty vehicles burned out. Two campsites and dozens of houses have been evacuated as a precaution. There are thousands of households without electricity in parts of the region.
Smoke development in Ribaute.
Photo of @Sakhenat via X/Via Reuters
According to President Emmanuel Macron, “all state resources” are used to combat the fire.
Photo Idriss Bigou/Gilles/AFP
A burger sprays his garden near the nature fire near Tournissan, in the southwest of France.
Photo Idriss Bigou/Gilles/AFP
Unfavorable weather forecast
The French government has used almost two thousand firefighters to get the fire under control. They receive support from extinguishing aircraft and helicopters. It is expected that the weather conditions will also remain unfavorable in the coming days. Due to persistent drought, high temperatures and strong winds, the fire is quickly advancing and it is difficult to fight.
President Emmanuel Macron spoke on social media His support from the emergency services and said that “all resources of the state” are being used. The French meteorological institute Météo-France warned earlier this week for an increased risk of natural fires in the South of France. A similar warning currently applies to eight other departments.
France is struggling with several fires this summer due to extreme drought. Other countries around the Mediterranean, including Turkey and Italy, also suffer a lot from this.