The fire, which began on Tuesday, is the largest to affect the country since 1949, according to Environment Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher.
During the day, the French army has sent additional military personnel to the fire, which now covers an area of 17,000 hectares, of which 13,000 hectares are completely engulfed in flames.
After a relatively cool night with less wind, the weather conditions are expected to worsen in the coming hours.
The battle continues. The ground is extremely dry, the smallest spark ignites a new fire, says Christian Pouget, an official in the affected Aude region, to BFMTV.
Many burned-down homes
A 65-year-old woman has died and thirteen people have been injured in the fire. About 25 homes and about thirty cars have so far burned down. About 500 hectares of vineyards have also been completely destroyed, according to preliminary information.
An investigation is underway into what caused the fire. According to François-Noël Buffet, Minister of the Interior, they already know what started it.
Right now, professional officials are analyzing exactly what happened. It remains to be determined whether it was intentional or unintentional, he says to BFMTV.
"Devastated landscape"
Residents and tourists in nearby areas have been asked to stay in their homes as long as they are not asked to evacuate. Around the region, temporary accommodations have taken in people who have been forced to leave their homes.
In the Corbières massif, the once green forest landscape is no longer the same.
It's very sad to think about how our region looks now, with devastated landscapes and desperate women and men. Not just today or tomorrow, but for weeks and months to come. It will take years to rebuild, says Xavier de Volontat, mayor of the village of Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, to BFMTV.
