A huge wildfire in the south of France continues to rage on for the third consecutive day today, however it is reducing in intensity as weather conditions bring more humidity the area.
The blaze that began on Tuesday afternoon in the Aude department has now burned more than 16,000 hectares of land, around 1.5x the area of Paris and three times that of Lyon.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said it is the most damaging wildfire in France since 1949, where a major blaze in the south-west of France burned over 50,000 hectares and killed 82 people.
French Prime Minister François Bayrou, who visited the site of the fire with the Interior Minister, called it a “catastrophe of unprecedented magnitude.”
The cause of the fire is still unknown, with specialist detectives working on uncovering its origins.
Authorities are looking for a possible source such as a cigarette butt, and have not ruled out the possibility of tracing phones in the area to see if a cause can be established that way.
Around 90% of wildfires start due to human activity – intentional or otherwise – according to the government.
The satellite images below show the spread of the fire since Tuesday afternoon, with the blaze clearly visible overnight on Tuesday evening and thick plumes of smoke floating across the Mediterranean.
Depuis mardi, l’Aude est touchée par un très violent incendie, dont le panache de fumée est visible depuis l’espace. ⬇️
🟠 Ces 2 prochains jours, le danger de feu reste élevé sur plusieurs départements du sud de la France, selon la Météo des forêts : https://t.co/McwufCGXaC pic.twitter.com/NdhO9H2XVX
— Météo-France (@meteofrance) August 6, 2025
The Aude prefecture is yet to give an update on the fire this morning, but provided an official bulletin at 19:00 yesterday evening.
Three people are still missing following the fire, meaning the current death toll of one – a 65-year old woman who died in her burning home – may rise.
At least 13 people have been injured, mainly firefighters, although two civilians injured early on in the blaze remain in urgent care.
Close to 1,800 people have been evacuated from nearby the fire, currently staying in emergency centres in nearby communes.
This includes holidaymakers staying in nearby camping parks.
Many smaller roads remain closed but the A9 motorway has reopened. Live traffic information can be found here.
Several small villages in the fire’s path have been decimated, with at least 25 buildings and 35 cars completely charred.
“We remain on high alert, because we are surrounded by pine trees and then everything has burned down, all around the village, it’s a disaster,” said deputy mayor of the Villesèque-des-Corbières Bruno Zubieta.
“It’s dramatic. It’s black, the trees are completely charred,” said mayor of Jonquières Jacques Piraud. Around 80% of homes in the village have been damaged.
