Paris (EFE).-The mega-fire, which has already burned about 16,000 hectares in the Corbières massif area, continued active and advancing on Thursday afternoon, according to authorities, although it has slowed down.
“The fire’s progression is slowing down, but it is still active,” said Rémi Recio, sub-prefect of Narbonne, the capital of the Aude department where the Corbières massif is located, in statements to the press.
He specified that considerable resources continue to be deployed in the area in an attempt to stop the flames from advancing. This remains the objective for Thursday, although Recio acknowledged that adverse weather conditions still pose a challenge.
1,850 firefighters were deployed to the area, along with 600 support vehicles, by 5:00 pm. In the air, there were six Canadair seaplanes, three Dash water bombers, two heavy helicopters, two light helicopters, and one military helicopter.
In addition to one fatality (a woman in her sixties who refused to evacuate her home in Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse from Tuesday night to Wednesday morning), two people are still hospitalized.
A total of 11 firefighters were injured, but Recio pointed out that there are no longer any missing persons, which is a more positive development.
“This fire is an ogre,” declared the sub-prefect, who asked that the safety instructions in the area be followed so as not to hinder the work of the firefighters, such as staying at home unless an evacuation order is issued.
He also stressed that firefighting efforts are aimed not only at limiting the advance of the flames, but also at preserving homes in the area.
In anticipation of the heatwave expected to hit France from Friday, starting in the south-west of the country, both the sub-prefect of Narbonne and Christophe Magny, head of the fire brigade, have warned that the risk of forest fires increases significantly when the so-called ‘rule of three 30s’ applies: humidity levels below 30%, temperatures above 30 degrees, and winds exceeding 30 kilometers (18 miles) per hour.
Colonel Magny also pointed out that the heatwave poses a risk to firefighters who have been working in the area for 48 hours.
Regarding the investigation into the origin of the fire, Recio stated that, given the human factor is considered established as it started next to a secondary road, the investigation is in the hands of the public prosecutor’s office.
The 16,000 hectares that have burned in the Corbières massif since Tuesday equate to the total area burned in France in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2024, respectively, and are double the area burned in France in 2023.
The largest fire in the country in recent times burned 50,000 hectares of pine trees south of Bordeaux in 1949, resulting in 82 fatalities. EFE
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