The fire that broke out on Tuesday at 4.20 pm near Ribaute took a exceptional scale. At 10 pmAs the hours pass, the death toll is rising: 5,000 hectares burnt, two people injured, one of whom is in a critical condition, and several houses affected by the fire. The fire is spreading from the forests to the scrubland, reaching homes in Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse.
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To Tournissan, houses were partially destroyed and gardens caught fire. In Lagrasse and Fabrezan, the campsites have been evacuated as a precaution, just like around thirty houses in Tournissan.
A team at its very best, a decisive night
The prefecture has confirmed that the national resources are being utilised to the full : 9 Canadairs, 5 Dash aircraft, as well as water-bombing helicopters until nightfall, 1,200 firefighters are out in the field whilst reinforcements continue to arrive. The flames are threatening several villages: Saint-Laurent, Lagrasse, Fabrezan, Tournissan, Coustouge.
The county roads around the area to the south closed. The public are being asked to to go into lockdown at home, unless a An evacuation has been ordered by the emergency services.
A historic drought is fuelling the flames
The Aude department is in red alert for forest fires, and suffered a prolonged heatwave, according to Météo-France.
Since the start of the summer, there have already been several fires in the Aude, including one in 2,000 hectares in July, the largest since 1986. According to the fire service, the area affected by the fires has soared in recent years: 300 to 400 hectares per year in the early 2000s compared with several thousand today.
There is still some hope for tonight: the tramontane may ease off in the middle of the night, which could to slow down the spread of the fire. But the emergency services fear a long night of struggle.