Firefighters Vigilant as Wildfire Threatens South France Post-Containment

Villerouge La Cremade, France, Aug 8 (AP) - Firefighters and local authorities are on high alert after successfully containing the largest wildfire in France in decades in the south of the country, as forecasts indicate soaring temperatures might reignite the flames.

The inferno, which raged for three days, engulfed more than 160 square kilometers in the Aude wine region, claiming one life and forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate their homes. In the searing heat and drought, the blaze expanded rapidly, forming a 90-kilometer perimeter. Authorities remain vigilant through the weekend, with temperatures projected to exceed 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) during yet another heat wave.

Christian Pouget, the regional administrator, reported that around 1,000 individuals have not yet returned to their homes. The fire affected 15 communes in the Corbières mountain region, resulting in the destruction or damage of at least 36 houses. One person perished, and 13 others sustained injuries, including 11 firefighters, according to local authorities.

Residents have been cautioned against returning without authorization due to numerous blocked and hazardous roads. Those displaced have found refuge in emergency shelters spread across 17 municipalities. “On Tuesday, when the fire broke out, we were informed that inhabitants from the nearby village of Durban-Corbières were arriving in Tuchan," recounted Beatrice Bertrand, Tuchan’s mayor, to The Associated Press. "We have received and accommodated over 200 people, providing them with meals thanks to local businesses that opened late.

"Civil Protection provided beds, and local villagers offered their homes to welcome those affected . It was their first night here, and many were in shock and frightened.” An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire.

The blaze is the largest on record since the establishment of France's national fire database in 2006. Nevertheless, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, France's minister for ecological transition, described the fire as the worst since 1949, attributing it to climate change.

This summer, Southern Europe has grappled with numerous extensive fires. Scientists caution that climate change is intensifying the frequency and severity of heat and drought, heightening the region’s vulnerability to wildfires. Last month, a wildfire that reached Marseille, France’s second-largest city, resulted in around 300 injuries.

Europe is the globe's fastest-warming continent, with temperatures rising at twice the global average rate since the 1980s, as reported by the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. (AP)

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