A massive wildfire erupted in southern France on Wednesday, prompting dozens to evacuate their homes, according to emergency services.
Hundreds of firefighters have been deployed to combat the blaze in the Hérault and Aude regions, fueled by drought and strong winds.
This fire follows a year after major blazes in the Corbières area and just days after a deadly heatwave that swept across large parts of Europe, with another heatwave expected to arrive soon.
By late evening, the flames had scorched 800 hectares, according to regional authorities.
A local official told AFP around 11 PM (9 PM GMT): "The fire was contained at certain points but has not yet been brought under control."
The challenging terrain with no accessible routes made firefighting efforts extremely difficult, necessitating the use of firefighting aircraft to douse the flames.
Temperatures of around 30 degrees Celsius, coupled with strong winds, helped the fire spread rapidly through the severely dry low vegetation.
Officials reported that approximately 200 people were evacuated or told to stay indoors in Bize-Minervois and Mayrac.
Danielle, 99, one of the evacuees from Bize, said, "The smoke was so thick and suffocating that the firefighters instructed us to leave."
Local firefighting teams also reported two smaller fires breaking out in Roujan and Lançon-Provence, near the city of Marseille.