Firefighters battle wildfires across southern France

Firefighters battled multiple wildfires across southern France on Thursday, with the largest blaze scorching hundreds of hectares in the Aude region near the Spanish border. The fires, fueled by strong winds and extremely dry conditions following a recent deadly heatwave, prompted evacuations and drew a major emergency response.

The most significant fire burned in the Aude administrative department, consuming approximately 900 hectares. Local authorities deployed nearly 800 firefighters and 150 vehicles to the area, where high winds complicated efforts. Alain Bucquet, the prefect of Aude, said fire services were being supported by four water-bomber aircraft. He emphasized the urgency of containing the fire quickly as temperatures were rising and winds were growing stronger.

Two other fires were reported near the Mediterranean port city of Marseille. One blaze in Lançon-Provence covered around 260 hectares and was brought under control, while a smaller fire near Rognac, close to Marseille's airport, was also being tackled. Officials confirmed there were no casualties from these incidents. The combined area burned by the three main fires was reported to be 1,210 hectares.