(7 Aug 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tuchan, France – 7 August 2025
1. Mid of WWII monument at village centre
2. Exterior of village sports facility
3. Various set up shots of town mayor Beatrice Bretrand
4. SOUNDBITE (French) Beatrice Bretrand, mayor of Tuchan:
“On Tuesday when the fire started, we learned that the inhabitants of the nearby village of Durban-Corbieres were arriving in Tuchan. We have received and hosted over 200 people. We acted very fast and opened this public space you can see behind me. We gave them food, thanks to local businesses who opened their stores even though it was very late. Civil Protection brought us beds. And also the local villagers offered their homes to welcome them. It was their first night here and many were shocked and scared.”
5. Various of villagers from Durban-Corbieres outside shelter facility
6. SOUNDBITE (French) Marise (surname not given), pensioner evacuated from nearby village:
“We were very afraid. There was a hill very close to our house that caught fire. But luckily it was controlled. Everything we were hearing was frightening. There were also people camping. It was fear that made us leave. Bit by bit, many people from the village joined us and we all arrived here.”
7. Various of villagers from Durban-Corbieres outside shelter facility
SOUNDBITE (French) Bernard Munoz, 72, pensioner evacuated from nearby village:
“Everything is dry. The vegetation is dry. Many vineyards are abandoned. And when a vineyard is abandoned then vegetation grows all over. Lots of trash. And that catches fire very fast. In past times, there were not as much trash and everything looked green, so the fire couldn’t spread so fast.”
8. Women sitting on bench
9. Wide of public hall to host evacuated villagers
10. Various of evacuated villagers, food and supplies
11. Various of evacuated campers outside their motorhomes
STORYLINE:
France’s largest wildfire in decades was contained Thursday after burning more than 160 square kilometers (62 square miles) in the country’s southern wine region and claiming one life, local authorities said.
The blaze erupted Tuesday and tore through the Aude region, spreading rapidly due to hot, dry weather.
Over 200 villagers were evacuated from Durban-Corbieres and sheltered at a public sports facility in the nearby village of Tuchan.
"We were very afraid. There was a hill very close to our house that caught fire. But luckily it was controlled," said one evacuee who gave her name as Marise.
"Everything we were hearing was frightening."
Cooler overnight temperatures and calmer winds slowed its advance and allowed firefighters to make headway.
Late Thursday, the region’s top government official said the fire was contained.
However, residents were warned not to return home without authorization, as many roads remained blocked and dangerous.
The fire swept through 15 communes in the Corbières mountain region, destroying or damaging at least 36 homes, with a full damage assessment still underway.
One person died at home, and at least 13 others were injured, including 11 firefighters, according to local authorities. Three people who were reported missing have been found safe.
An investigation is underway to determine what sparked the fire.
The fire was the largest recorded since France’s national fire database was created in 2006.
Southern Europe has seen multiple large fires this summer.
Scientists warn that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness, making the region more vulnerable to wildfires.
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