A wildfire in the Aude department burned around 950 hectares before being contained Friday afternoon. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez expressed deep concern as the fire season started a month early.
Friday afternoon in Pouzols-Minervois in the Aude, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced that the fire was contained after 48 hours of efforts. Up to 900 firefighters were deployed along with four Canadairs. The blaze burned 900 to 950 hectares of vegetation and vineyards.
Nuñez noted that France had already exceeded 10,000 hectares burned since the start of the year, compared with 6,237 hectares at the same date in 2025. He recalled that nine out of ten fires are human-caused and assured that current resources, including 12 Canadairs, were sufficient.
Six Mediterranean departments — Pyrénées-Orientales, Aude, Hérault, Gard, Vaucluse and Bouches-du-Rhône — remain at very high alert on Saturday. The risk is expected to persist Sunday due to wind and drought.
