French firefighters continued to fight a major wildfire in the Corbieres hills, which has resulted in one fatality and extensive damage. Starting in Ribaute, the fire has already consumed more land than Paris and is classified as the worst in almost eight decades. Affected areas include the Aude region where authorities reported the rapid spread of the blaze. Evacuations were carried out for approximately 1,500 residents and tourists. Emergency services, including over 2,000 firefighters, are fully engaged in combating the fire amid challenging weather conditions.
"It's a catastrophe of unprecedented scale," Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said, adding that this was the biggest area to be burnt in a single fire since 1949.
"What is happening today is linked to global warming and linked to drought," Bayrou said.
The fire started in the town of Ribaute and has since spread over 15,000 hectares, the affected Aude department said.
Some 2,000 firefighters were battling the blaze which damaged 25 homes in Aude.
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