Published on Aug. 6, 2025, 2:56 PM

This is “a disaster of unprecedented scale”

By Charlotte Van Campenhout

SAINT-LAURENT-DE-LA-CABRERISSE, France (Reuters) – Firefighters in southern France struggled on Wednesday to control a massive wildfire that has already swept through an area bigger than Paris, as the blaze spread rapidly through forests and villages, forcing residents and tourists to flee.

One person died in the village of Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, about 30 kilometers from the city of Perpignan, the Aude prefecture said. The fire has burnt down at least 25 houses. Many roads in the area are closed.

So far 13,000 hectares have burned – similar to the total area that burned across all of France in 2024, and more than twice the area hit by wildfires in 2023, environment Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said on X.

SEE ALSO: From Canada to Europe: Wildfire smoke makes a 5,000-km journey across Atlantic

The fire moved incredibly fast, leaving no time to prepare, said Dutch national Renate Koot, who was on holidays in Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse with her partner and had to flee.

“One moment we were on the phone with our children … thinking, ‘Look, a fire!’. The next, we had to jump in the car and leave, while praying for protection. We didn’t take anything with us and just left,” she said. “We’re okay. Miraculously.”

“It’s unbelievable. It’s a catastrophe,” said Spanish national Issa Medina, as the sound of firefighters echoed in the background. Medina was with her family in Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse.