The flames ravaged over 16,000 hectares last week, and it was then called the largest wildfire in France since the Second World War. Now it is considered under control, but to completely extinguish it is expected to take several weeks. Hundreds of firefighters are still stationed in the area.
At the same time, the weather is more favorable for the fire than for the fire departments. In both Charente in the west and Aude in the south, 43 degrees were recorded on Monday.
In about one tenth of France, 12 out of 101 departments, a red warning level now applies, the highest heat warning on the weather agency Météo-France's scale. And an additional 41 departments, plus Andorra, have orange, the second-highest level.
The red warning was introduced in 2004, after a deadly hot summer, and has only been used eight times since then. It is declared when there is a risk of heat that is so strong and prolonged that there are major health risks and impact on society.
