France wildfire destroys area 1.5 times bigger than Paris

• Firefighters in southern France are battling the country's largest wildfire in nearly eight decades, which has consumed over 16,000 hectares – an area one-and-a-half times the size of Paris.
• The blaze, located in the Aude region near the Spanish border, has resulted in one fatality, three people missing, and two critically injured, including a firefighter.
• Dozens of homes have been destroyed, with entire villages like Jonquières evacuated and described as a “lunar landscape” due to the extensive damage.
• Although the fire is advancing more slowly, officials say it is not yet under control, and an investigation is underway to determine its cause.
• The region's economy, heavily reliant on wine production and tourism, has been significantly impacted.

IN FULL

Tourists evacuated as France continues to battle biggest wildfire since 1949