The Aude fire will not be extinguished for several days, according to firefighters who remain on alert.

The gigantic fire in the Aude department, which started on August 5, will not be extinguished for several days. A resumption of the fire "is being dealt with," the Aude firefighters told Agence France-Presse (AFP) late Sunday, August 17, noting that two water-bombing helicopters were tackling the resumption of the fire.

Firefighters remain on high alert for the coming days as the fire, which had covered 16,000 hectares, has been flaring up again for several days and the east of the department is at "extreme risk" of fire.

For the fire that started between the towns of Ribaute and Lagrasse on Tuesday, August 5, "to be classified as extinguished," it will be necessary to wait "several days" and it "is far from being extinguished, since we have re-ignitions almost every day," even if, for the moment, they "are not significant," the firefighters explained.

On Sunday, the east of the department was classified as being at extreme risk of fire, a first since 2016, "which clearly shows the seriousness of the situation and the very difficult weather conditions we are facing," Lucie Roesh, secretary general of the prefecture, told AFP on Sunday.

Despite the very high level of risk, combined with the very heavy traffic flow on the coast due to the August 15th bridge, no major fire has affected the department. Nearly 1,200 firefighters are still "on alert" in Aude, according to the prefecture, including 330 still mobilized to monitor the fire that started on August 5th between the towns of Ribaute and Lagrasse and which is still not extinguished. Due to the orange heatwave alert, the "very dry" weather and the wind expected in the department on Monday, "the mobilization will have to continue," it adds.

While the Aude region was classified as orange alert for high fire risk on Monday by the Météo des forêts, the east of the department, affected by five fires since the beginning of summer and classified as red by the National Forestry Office (ONF), is still subject to "a very severe risk, which will nevertheless call for great vigilance" , the firefighters emphasize. "Given the climatic conditions" , the latter are already predicting "a risk of a major fire which could last until the end of September."