A photo shows a field and trees burned by a fire, in Talairan, southern France on August 8, 2025. BERTRAND GUAY / AFP
French authorities said on Friday, August 8, they were counting on better weather conditions to put out the country's biggest wildfire in at least half a century near the Mediterranean coast after firefighters finally managed to bring it under control. The fire ravaged a vast area of the southern Aude department at the peak of the summer tourist season, killing one person and wounding several others.
Experts say European countries are becoming ever more vulnerable to such disasters due to intensifying summer heatwaves linked to global warming. Firefighters announced that the Aude blaze was brought under control on Thursday, although it will still take several days before it is completely extinguished.
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Wildfires: 'We must make prevention a political and collective priority, commensurate with the new challenges posed by climate change'
