Fire in the south of France successfully extinguished

Fire in Southern France Continues to Rage

A large wildfire in the southern French département of Aude is still burning out of control, with temperatures forecasted to reach between 35 and 41 degrees Celsius (95 to 105.8 degrees Fahrenheit) this weekend. The fire started on Tuesday afternoon in Ribaute, a town between Carcassonne and Narbonne, and has since spread across more than 17,000 hectares (42,000 acres) of land.

The fire has resulted in one death and injured 13 people. Thirty-six homes have been destroyed, and another 20 have been damaged due to the fire. Over 2,000 firefighters are still on duty, battling the blaze, but no new information about the status of the fire has been provided.

The fire has also affected 16 communities, with some 1,500 households experiencing an electricity outage on Thursday evening. However, no new information about the current number of households without electricity has been provided.

The prohibition on accessing the forests hit by the fire remains in effect until at least Sunday. The extreme heat is causing issues for the national railway operator in France, SNCF, who have cancelled multiple Intercity trains in southern France due to the heat. Some older train carriages used on certain routes may malfunction in the extreme heat.

The cause of the fire was the dry conditions combined with strong winds, which caused the fire to spread rapidly. No new information about the exact ignition source has been provided. The fire has burned through 54 vehicles, but no new information about the current number of vehicles affected has been provided.

No new information about the number of homes destroyed or damaged has been provided. However, the fire department continues to work tirelessly to contain the blaze, and it is not expected to be declared extinguished for several days.

SNCF advises travellers to check their train schedules ahead of time, as the routes between Bordeaux and Marseille, Paris and Toulouse, and Clermont-Ferrand will be affected by the cancellations during peak heat hours. The fire department urges the public to stay away from the affected areas and to follow their guidance to ensure everyone's safety.