A wildfire of exceptional intensity in the Corbières massif, in the Aude region, injured two people on Tuesday, including one seriously, according to the prefecture. It also destroyed 4,000 hectares of vegetation within a few hours.

A woman died in Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse (Aude) in the fire, which continues to spread through the Corbières massif, bringing the human toll to ten victims and one missing person as of Wednesday morning, the prefecture said.

The fire, unusually large in scale, slowed overnight but continues to threaten several villages. It has burned through more than 11,000 hectares of vegetation, injured at least nine people, and led to the closure of the A9, the main motorway between France and Spain.

Since it broke out shortly after 4pm on Tuesday, 1,500 firefighters have been battling in vain against the flames, which have destroyed scrubland, brush, pine trees, vineyards, and some homes. The fire is expected to reach the A9 motorway overnight, which runs along the Mediterranean.

A large firefighting operation will be deployed there to try to stop its progress. For that reason, the A9 motorway between Montpellier and Barcelona was closed in both directions on Tuesday evening.

RTL

Smoke clouds from the wildfire in Aude seen from the beach at Banyuls-sur-Mer / © AFP

"The fire is moving through an area where all conditions are right for it to spread. We are monitoring the edges and the rear of the fire to prevent flare-ups. At first light, we will again have aerial support. This fire will keep us busy for several days. It is a long-term operation," said Lucie Roesch, secretary general of the Aude prefecture.

However, the fire advanced more slowly during the night due to higher humidity levels, she added. As of just before 4am on Wednesday, the fire was approaching Roquefort-des-Corbières.