SOUTHWESTERN FRANCE: BATTLE AGAINST MASSIVE FIRE CONTINUES, "PROGRESSION SLOWED"
After three days, the vast fire in Aude has devastated 16,000 hectares and caused one fatality. Over 2,100 firefighters are still on duty, but favorable overnight conditions have slowed the flames' advance.
In France, over 2,100 firefighters remain mobilized, with the support of the gendarmerie and the army, against the gigantic fire that broke out the day before yesterday afternoon from the village of Ribaute, between Carcassonne and Narbonne, and then spread into the Corbières massif.
The flames have already devastated 16,000 hectares of vegetation and pine forests in what is one of France's most beautiful areas, known for its historic villages, breathtaking landscapes, and endless vineyards.
The human toll currently stands at one fatality—a 65-year-old woman—2 injured civilians, one of whom is serious, and 11 injured firefighters, one of whom is serious.
On the material front, the flames have so far damaged 36 homes and about forty vehicles, though things appear slightly better than in the last two days. "The fire's progression has slowed," confirmed the Aude prefecture in a press briefing held this morning.
This improvement is due to "favorable conditions" overnight: "absence of wind and a drop in temperatures." Citizens and tourists are still advised to remain confined, unless further evacuation orders are given, and displaced people cannot yet return home. Interviewed by BFM TV, Colonel Christophe Magny, head of the local fire department, hopes to bring the fire under control today. "We will do everything possible to bring the fire under control today, before the wind returns in the afternoon," he said, adding: "We have significant resources, with 2,000 firefighters from all over France."
