After more than 48 hours of rapid growth, the fire was contained on Thursday, although not completely extinguished, having spread to 17,000 hectares and destroyed 13,000 hectares of forest, an event of its kind unprecedented in the 21st century and the last 75 years.

Aude Prefecture warns of a challenging Sunday, given the increasing winds and high temperatures prevailing due to a heat wave hitting the southern half of the country, which pose a risk factor for its spread.

The Meteo France agency placed the department on alert for a heat wave over the weekend, with temperatures expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius and winds exceeding 50 kilometers per hour.

Quoted by the press, the deputy chief of the local fire department, Michael Sabot, announced the day before the deployment of specialized forces to address any advance of the flames in a timely manner.

Conditions for the spread of forest fires are favorable today in at least 16 departments, all placed under surveillance.

In Aude, the fire, in addition to destroying 13,000 hectares of forest—more than those devastated during the entire 2024 (11,500 hectares), left one person dead and several injured, mostly firefighters, and burned dozens of vehicles and homes.

Despite the adverse situation, authorities aim to completely extinguish the fire that started on Tuesday before the end of the day.

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