Tourists walk on the beach as the smoke from wildfires raging in the Aude department is seen from the Mediterranean coast in Banyuls-sur-Mer, southwestern France, on August 5, 2025. OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE / AFP
A woman died and nine people were injured in a wildfire in southern France that has burned 11,000 hectares, local officials said on Wednesday, August 6. The blaze, which started on Tuesday afternoon, has destroyed or damaged 25 homes in the southern Aude department, inland from the Mediterranean, where 1,500 firefighters have been battling to extinguish it.
"The fire is advancing in an area where all the conditions are ripe for it to progress. We are monitoring the edges and the back of the fire to prevent flare-ups," said Lucie Roesch, secretary general of the Aude prefecture. She said firefighters are expecting to receive aerial support at dawn, but warned "this fire will keep us busy for several days. It's a long-term operation." The fire's advance slowed overnight due to high humidity levels, she added.
A woman died in her home and two people were injured, one of whom is now in critical condition with severe burns, according to the Aude prefecture. Seven firefighters have also been injured, two of whom were hospitalized, and one person is missing. One person was seriously burned and another injured, the prefecture said, adding that seven firefighters were also hurt.
