France’s wildfire has eclipsed the size of Paris
SAINT-LAURENT-DE-LA-CABRERISSE, France—France’s biggest wildfire in years was spreading quickly on Wednesday in a Mediterranean region near Spain after leaving one person dead and several injured, authorities said. The fire burned an area larger than Paris, and the military was called in to help.
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 on Tuesday afternoon in the village of Ribaute in the Aude region, a rural, wooded area that is home to wineries.
‘Pops and cracks’
The fire, which has burned 16,000 hectares, remained “very active” on Wednesday and continued to progress as night fell, the local administration said. The weather was hot, dry and windy, making it difficult for firefighters to contain the blaze.
Villagers sought to help douse the flames or save their homes and small businesses, and described their alarm at the fire’s speed. Ash filled the air and coated windows and cars, and several roads were closed around the region.
“The sky was blue, and then less than an hour later the sky was orange,” said Andy Pickup of Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, at the heart of the fire zone. “That’s when we went out and tried to help.”
“We heard pops and cracks—it was the trees, it was the village,” he told The Associated Press (AP). “We could see the fires taking hold on all the hills around Saint-Laurent.”
At dusk, he said, they saw fires in every direction, some as near as 100 meters away.
‘Lunar landscape’
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said the military would 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. Three people were missing, the prefecture said.
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 visiting there on 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.”
