A fast-moving wildfire in a Mediterranean region of France, close to the Spanish border, has resulted in one fatality and multiple injuries, continuing its destructive path after consuming an area the size of Paris overnight.
Some 1,500 firefighters worked through the night to contain the blaze, which erupted on Tuesday afternoon in the village of Ribaute in the Aude region. Local authorities stated the fire remained "very active" on Wednesday, with unfavourable weather conditions hindering efforts.
One person died in their home, while nine others sustained injuries, and at least one individual is reported missing, according to the local administration's statement.
The inferno has spread across 11,000 hectares of land over 12 hours, an area roughly equivalent to the French capital, making it the largest wildfire in France so far this summer.
Southern Europe has seen multiple large fires this summer. Scientists warn that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness, making the region more vulnerable to wildfires.
Earlier this week thousands of firefighters across Spain and Portugal were battling blazes across the countries.
In central Spain, firefighters and a special military unit worked to control fires in Avila province, focusing near El Arenal, about 100km (62 miles) west of Madrid. In the western province of Caceres, authorities reported a fire affecting some 2,500 hectares (roughly 6,178 acres) had been largely stabilised, with most evacuation orders lifted.
Spain's meteorology service AEMET predicted that temperatures in central and southern Spain could exceed 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) by Sunday.
Meanwhile, in Portugal, more than 2,000 firefighters are deployed across the country, particularly in the north, as they continue to tackle widespread blazes.
Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, with temperatures increasing at twice the speed of the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
