Firefighters in southern France have warned that a huge fire they have been battling, which spread across an area bigger than Paris, could reignite as the region continues to face a scorching heatwave.
Authorities on Sunday said hot, dry winds and a heatwave would make the work of firefighters even more hazardous.
The fire has ravaged a vast area of France’s southern Aude area, larger than the size of the nation’s capital, killing one person and injuring several.
“It’s a challenging day, given that we are likely to be on red alert for heatwave from 4:00pm (14:00 GMT), which will not make things any easier,” said Christian Pouget, Aude’s prefect.
The fire is no longer spreading but is still burning within a 16,000-hectare area, the chief of the region’s firefighter unit, Christophe Magny, said on Saturday, adding it would not be under control until Sunday evening.
The blaze will “not be extinguished for several weeks”, he said.
Some 1,300 firefighters were mobilised to prevent the blaze from reigniting.
Temperatures this weekend are expected to hit 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in some areas, while Monday is forecast to be the “hottest day nationwide”, according to national weather service Meteo France.
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