France has been fighting the largest forest fire in decades while residents are moved | Climatic news

France’s most devastating forest fires remain active despite control, officials announced, while fire fighting efforts continue with hundreds of staff.

The massive fire in Aude burned more than 17,000 hectares (42,000 acres) – an area larger than Paris – killing a person, injuring 13 others and destroying many houses.

About 2,000 firefighters remain deployed to fight against the flames, which were declared on Thursday evening.

“The fire will not be declared extinguished for several days,” said Christian Pouget, the prefect of Aude. “There is still a lot of work to do.”

Officials have limited access to devastated forests until at least on Sunday due to dangerous conditions, including the falling power lines and other dangers.

Pouget has confirmed that around 2,000 evacuates are still waiting for authorization to go home, with hundreds of refuge in school gymnasiums and community centers throughout the region.

This forest fire is the largest in the Mediterranean region of France in at least 50 years, according to government surveillance agencies. The southern area is particularly sensitive to such fires.

At its peak, the fire consumed approximately 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres) per hour, the authorities of Narbonne reported. The movement of strong winds over two days made the behavior of the fire unpredictable.

A 65 -year -old woman who refused the evacuation orders was found dead in her burned house, while 13 other injured, including 11 firefighters.

Prime Minister François Bayrou, visiting the affected area on Wednesday, described the forest fires of “disaster on an unprecedented scale”.

“What is happening today is linked to global warming and linked to drought,” said Bayrou.

The Minister of the Environment, Agnes Pannier-Runacher, wrote in an article on X that it was the largest fire in France since 1949. The country has experienced around 9,000 forest fires this summer, mainly near the Mediterranean coast.

Aude has seen an increase in burning areas in recent years, exacerbated by reduced moves from precipitation and vineyards that have previously contributed to slowing down the progress of fire.

In Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, the hardest village, thick smoke continued to climb Thursday hills covered with pine overlooking the vineyards where the dry grass was still burning.

With Europe in front of new heat waves in August, many regions remain on forest alert. Portugal extended emergency measures on Thursday due to increased fire risks.

Near Tarifa in Spain, firefighters obtained areas around tourism accommodation after checking a major fire that destroyed hundreds of hectares.

Climate experts indicate that global warming leads to more intense, more intense and more frequent heat waves in the world, creating more favorable conditions for forest fires.