New prime minister of France appointed after Michel Barnier's resignation

France In Flames: Wildfire Swallows 12,000 Hectares | Kills One, Nine Injured As Thousands Flee

A devastating wildfire is raging through southern France’s Aude department, leaving one woman dead, nine people—including firefighters—injured, and entire communities in peril. The blaze has already consumed up to 12,000 hectares—an area larger than Paris—damaging or destroying 25 homes. Hundreds of firefighters are engaged in a relentless battle, backed by water-dropping aircraft, as strong winds, scorching heat, and bone-dry vegetation fuel the inferno. Prime Minister François Bayrou is due to visit the scene, while President Macron has mobilized all national resources, urging utmost caution. Officials warn the fire is far from contained and will require days of sustained effort to control. Evacuations are underway, roads are closed, and smoke-choked airdays linger over the region. As France grapples with yet another brutal blaze during its drought-stricken summer, the human, environmental, and economic stakes continue to rise—in what experts say is just the beginning of a catastrophic fire season. #FranceWildfire #AudeFire #SouthernFranceBlaze #Wildfire2025 #FranceUnderFire #FrontlineFirefighters #FranceBurns #AudeDepartment #MacronMobilises #BayrouVisits #11KhectaresBurn #MediterraneanFires #ClimateCrisis #HomesLost #OneDeadNineInjured #FranceEmergency #SmokeAlert #FireEvacuations #FranceCrisis #HeatwaveFires ~HT.178~ED.420~GR.122~

'Bayrou's bold budget plan has thrust the prime minister into the lion's den'