A wildfire that began Tuesday in the village of Ribaute in southern France has already burned 16,000 hectares, making it the largest fire in the country in 75 years. The blaze, which started in a rural, wooded area known for its wineries, destroyed or damaged between 8 and 9 square kilometers of vineyards, with officials estimating 80% of local vines in the Ribaute area were affected; many surviving grapes are likely unsuitable for quality wine production, AP reported.
The fire burned more land in one day than the total area affected by all wildfires in France during 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2024 combined, and is double the figure for 2023. By comparison, the Landiras fire in 2022 covered 12,552 hectares in a single event, and the largest fire in the 1990s reached 11,580 hectares in Vidauban, according to Le Parisien.
Exceptional wind speeds up to 60 km/h, dry soil, and humidity below 25% caused the fire to spread rapidly. On Wednesday morning, winds of 40 km/h were still reported by Aude’s fire chief Christophe Magny, who warned the blaze would continue moving through extremely dry vegetation. One woman, age 65, died after refusing to evacuate her home, according to the mayor of Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, Xavier de Volontat.
Late Thursday, the region’s top government official said the fire was contained. However, residents were warned not to return home without authorization, as many roads remained blocked and dangerous.
