Massive French wildfire now contained, 16,000ha forest and villages affected, local authorities say

SAINT-LAURENT-DE-LA-CABRERISSE, France – A massive wildfire that has scorched through 16,000ha of forest and villages in southern France since Aug 5 has now been contained, the local authorities said on Aug 7.

Firefighters will remain deployed in the area in the coming days to secure the site and prevent flare-ups, they added in a statement.

Residents affected by the blaze are still barred from returning to their homes without official clearance, as many roads remain closed and potentially hazardous due to uninspected damage and fallen power lines.

France’s biggest wildfire in nearly eight decades has caused 18 people – including 16 firefighters – to be injured, and killed a woman whom officials said had disregarded evacuation orders.

The blaze destroyed 36 houses, damaged 20 others, and forced some 2,000 residents and holidaymakers to flee the area.

At the height of the crisis, approximately 5,000 households lost power, and by the evening of Aug 7, around 1,500 homes were still without electricity, the local authorities said.

Resident and farmer Alain Reneau, who lives in Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, a village hit hard by the fire, said: “We don’t have water, internet and electricity anymore. We have nothing. It’s the apocalypse.

“We saved the house, but we had to fight the whole night, for two days.”

Plumes of smoke rose over the forest area in the Aude region. Drone footage showed swathes of charred earth after the fire swept across an area 1½ times the size of Paris.

The blaze, not far from the border with Spain and the Mediterranean Sea, has spread unusually rapidly, fanned by strong winds and very dry vegetation, following months of drought in the area.

“The fire’s progression is slowing down, but we are still dealing with an active fire,” the region’s deputy prefect Remi Recio told reporters.

“Compared with yesterday, the progression has significantly decreased because the weather conditions have changed, notably the wind direction,” Le Monde newspaper quoted Mr Recio as saying.

Close to 2,000 firefighters were on the ground to fight any flare-ups. The territory the wildfire has gone through around 16,000ha, the local authorities said in their last update on the evening of Aug 7, while French media reported the affected area to be around 17,000ha.

“The battle isn’t over yet, the fire could reignite with greater force,” Prefect Christian Pouget said earlier.

Consequence of climate change

Environment Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said the fire was the biggest one France has experienced since 1949. “This is a wildfire that is a consequence of climate change, of drought in this region,” she told France Info radio.

An investigation is under way to identify the cause of the blaze.

“Never in my life (have I seen) fires like this,” 77-year-old retiree Simon Gomez said in Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse.

Scientists say the Mediterranean region’s hotter, drier summers put it at high risk of wildfires.

France’s weather office has warned of a new heatwave starting in other parts of southern France on Aug 8 and due to last several days.

Local winemakers and mayors are also blaming the loss of vineyards for the fire’s rapid spread.

“We’re at war, but also, we will win the war,” said Mr Xavier Guille, a local vinyard owner who was helping firefighters battle the blaze.

Mr Guille lost woodland to the fire, but his vineyard was unharmed. “My in-laws lost their home in Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, it was one of the first homes that burned.” REUTERS