LONDON — At least one person was killed and 11 others were injured by raging wildfires in France, where more than 1,500 firefighters are battling the flames, officials said.
The fires are have burned over 11,000 hectares so far between Carcassonne and Narbonne, officials said.
In its latest statement, Aude prefecture, which is the regional authority, said the wildfire is spreading “very quickly” and the fire “remains very active” as the conditions on Wednesday are “unfavorable.”
A resident sprays water in front of a wildifre in Tournissan, southwestern France, on August 5, 2025. A fire that broke out on August 5, 2025 afternoon in Ribaute (Aude) had already spread across 1,000 hectares by early evening, according to the prefecture, prompting the evacuation of at least one campsite and several homes, an AFP journalist reported.
Idriss Bigou-gilles/AFP via Getty Images
The fire has been spreading quickly through the countryside and the prefecture’s “very provisional” figure is that the fire has so far only “touched” 25 homes, though that number is expected to rise as the fire continues to spread.
Authorities said one person, whom they didn’t name, died in the fires. Another 11 people were injured — including two who were seriously burned — as of Tuesday afternoon.
Aerial support to battle the fires is expected to arrive on Wednesday morning as 100 police officers are set to join team already working to extinguish the flames.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News’ Tom Soufi-Burridge and Aicha El-Hammar contributed to thir report.
