The south-west of France was hit by a violent fire which involved the entire area between the cities of Narbona and Carcassonne: according to the latest budget of the prefecture, the stake has already destroyed at least 14,000 hectares between forests, woods and inhabited areas.
The fire broke out on Tuesday 5 August around 4:15 pm a ReplyIn the Department of the AUDE, But they quickly extended throughout the area, fueled by the strong winds and the typical dry vegetation this season. The French Fire Brigade spokesman confirmed that it is a forest fire “out of the ordinary”, with the flames that are spreading to one speed of 5.5 km/h.
At the moment, the “head” of the fire was tamed by the 1,500 firefighters who intervened in the area: at least 9 people were injured (including 7 firefighters), while a woman died in Saint-laurend-de-la-Cabrisse.
Serious fires in the south of France: what is happening in the Aude
At the moment, the most affected municipalities are those of Saint-laurend-de-la-Cabrisse and of Jonquièreswhich according to the authorities was destroyed for 70%: over 1,500 firefighters have already been mobilized in the area and 9 Canadair and two helicopters. Due to the flames, at least were injured 9 people (of which 7 firefighters), while a woman was found dead in her home in Saint-Laurent-de-la-lacabrisse overwhelmed by the fire. In total, the stake destroyed 25 houses In the Department of the AUDE.
The causes of the stake have not yet been clarified, but the authorities have opened an investigation to establish the dynamics of the facts. In the meantime, the stretch of A9 motorway which connects the Narbona to Spain was closed to traffic in both senses.
As confirmed also by the French minister of the ecological transition Agnès Pannier-Runacher In an X post, it is the most violent fire recorded in France since the beginning of the season and in recent years: the damage caused by the stake have even passed those of Landiras’ fire (in the new Aquitania), which in 2022 had burned over 12,500 hectares.
The situation of fires in France
So far the fire season is revealing itself particularly aggressive in France, where already on 9 July a violent stake had Reached the city of Marseillecausing over 110 injured and destroying at least 63 buildings.
According to the data provided by the Copernicus Effis system, more than more than more than 34,000 hectares During 239 fires: to understand each other, it is almost triple of the hectares burned throughout the 2024 (12,268), a value three times higher at the average of the hectares burned between the 2006 and 2024 (10,408).
In less than 8 months, therefore, more hectare have already been burned than all the last 5 years, excluding the 2022when a season of devastating fires sent smoke 66,000 hectares in 290 bonfires.
In the latest updates, the vigils have declared that they had tamed the “head” of the fire in the Aude, even if the situation still remains criticism due to the difficulties of intervention in the area of massif of the Corbières: After mobilizing all possible resources, the authorities have warned that it will be difficult to tame the flames within the next few hours.
