The blaze spread across parts of the Herault and Aude departments, where emergency services struggled to contain the fire amid difficult terrain and limited access routes. By late evening, officials said the fire had been contained in some areas but remained out of control overall.

A source at the prefecture told AFP that firefighting operations were continuing despite challenging conditions on the ground. Water-dropping aircraft were deployed to support crews battling the flames in the hilly landscape.

Authorities said temperatures of around 30 degrees Celsius, combined with strong wind gusts and exceptionally dry vegetation, accelerated the fire’s spread across the affected region.

Around 200 residents in the communes of Pouzols-Minervois and Mailhac were either evacuated or instructed to remain indoors as smoke blanketed nearby communities.

“The smoke was so thick, so suffocating that firefighters told us to leave,” Danielle, a 99-year-old resident of Pouzols-Minervois who was evacuated, told AFP.

The wildfire comes a year after major fires devastated parts of the Corbieres region and follows a deadly heatwave that affected much of Europe in recent days. Meteorological forecasts have warned that another period of extreme heat is expected, raising concerns over an elevated wildfire risk across southern Europe.

Firefighters also responded to two smaller wildfires that broke out near Marseille in the communes of Rognac and Lancon-Provence, according to local emergency services.

French authorities continued monitoring weather conditions overnight as crews worked to prevent the main blaze from spreading further into surrounding communities and vegetation.