Summer on fire: France's biggest fire of the year leaves dead and missing

French authorities are facing an unprecedented emergency after a wildfire ravaged between 13,000 and 16,000 hectares in a forested area in the south of the country. The scale of the fire makes it the largest recorded in France so far in 2025.

More than 2,000 firefighters, supported by water-jet aircraft and helicopters, have been deployed to try to contain the blaze, which is spreading rapidly due to extreme weather conditions. Despite these efforts, the fire remains active and out of control.

An elderly woman died after refusing to evacuate her home. At least nine people were reported injured— several of them firefighters —and one more person remains missing. Local authorities have ordered emergency evacuations in several communities and closed roads, including a major highway that connects to other European countries.

The intensity of the fire has caused dramatic scenes, with homes threatened, animals trapped, and columns of smoke visible for several kilometers.

This fire comes amid an intense heat wave affecting several regions of the country, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius . The extremely dry conditions and winds have turned vast rural areas into fertile ground for fires.

Authorities have declared a state of emergency in the affected area and have urged residents not to travel except for reasons of force majeure. Weather conditions are feared to worsen in the coming days, further complicating containment efforts.