August 5th, a huge wildfire broke out in southern France. Around 2,500 homes in the area lost electricity, and people living as far as 30km were affected.

It’s the largest wildfire in France for 75 years, which has burned through an area larger than Paris, has killed a woman and injured 13 people, including 11 firefighters , with two in a critical condition.

More than 2,000 firefighters and 500 firefighting vehicles are still tackling the fire. “The fire is contained,” said Lucie Roesch, secretary general of the Aude prefecture.

But the fire will not be “declared extinguished for several days”, said Christian Pouget, the prefect for Aude. “There is still a lot of work to be done.”

The fire’s quick advance was driven by strong winds, dry vegetation and hot summer weather.

Residents and tourists have been moved to safety and temporary accommodation sites opened across the region.

The government has banned access to the forests that were damaged by the fire. They said roads in the area were too dangerous because of fallen electricity lines and other hazards.