2025 Corbières Massif wildfire
| 2025 Corbières Massif wildfire | |
|---|---|
 A photograph of the wildfire smoke on 6 August | |
| Location | Aude, France |
| Statistics | |
| Burned area | 17 000 hectares |
| Impacts | |
| Deaths | 1 |
The 2025 Massif des Corbières wildfire was a major wildfire that began on August 5, 2025. It affected sixteen municipalities in the Corbières Massif, southwest of Narbonne, in the department of Aude, France.
Context
On August 5, 2025, the department of Aude was placed on "red alert" by Météo-France due to the "very high" risk of fire. Météo-France forecasted temperatures of 35 °C and winds of 60 km/h, warning that "in a hot and dry atmosphere, with the tramontane wind, the danger of fires will be very high in Aude this Tuesday."[1]
This was the worst fire in over 50 years on the French Mediterranean coast according to a government database that lists wildfires in France since 1973.[2] It was also the second-largest wildfire in France since the 1949 Landes forest fire.[3]
Chronology
The fire started around 4 p.m. on 5 August 2025 in the commune of Ribaute. The gendarmerie estimates that it is likely of human origin.[4]. It then spread very rapidly to the southeast, fueled by a strong tramontane wind. Significant firefighting resources were deployed, including thirteen water bomber aircraft, specifically nine Bombardier CL-415s and four Bombardier Dash 8s belonging to the French state.
External links & internet documents etc.
References
- ^ "Vigilance rouge dans l'Aude, mardi 5 août, en raison du risque « très élevé » d'incendie". Le Monde. August 4, 2025. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
- ^ "Incendie dans l'Aude: François Bayrou déplore une "catastrophe d'ampleur inédite"". BFMTV. August 6, 2025. Retrieved August 8, 2025.
- ^ "Personal perception of the 2025 August wildfire in the Corbières (Aude/Mediterranean France)". paysages. 2025-08-08. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ "Incendie dans l'Aude : "Le feu est parti du bord d'une route, a priori", rapporte le porte-parole de la gendarmerie nationale". Franceinfo. 6 August 2025. Retrieved 6 August 2025.