The fire destroyed a vast area of France’s Southern Aude division during the peak summer tourist season, killing one person and wounding several others, AFP reported.
Officials said the hot, dry winds on Sunday — just like the day the flames began — and the heat waves would make the work of firefighters even more difficult.
“It’s a challenging day considering we are likely to receive a red warning from Heatwave from 4pm.
The fire is no longer spreading, but it is still burning within the 16,000 hectares of area, Christophe Manny, chief of the area’s firefighter squad, added that he is out of control until Sunday evening.
But the flames “will not go away for several weeks,” he said.
Around 1,300 firefighters were mobilized, unable to prevent the flames from re-firing amid fears that they said the Tramontan winds picked up overnight from Saturday to Sunday.
Temperatures are expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius this weekend, with Monday being “the hottest day in the nation.”
MA/PR