France’s largest recorded wildfire since 1949 has left a trail of destruction with homes and vehicles burned and vineyards left charred and destroyed.
The fire in France’s southern Aude département, near Carcassonne, burned 17,000 acres before being brought under control on Thursday night.
On Friday morning it was still burning, with local authorities saying they expect it to continue burning for several days. Thousands of people are still unable to return home, roads are closed and villages are without electricity.
READ ALSO: Road closures, maps, evacuation zones: The latest on wildfire in southern France
As the flames receded, photographers from AFP were able to access some of the wildfire zones to document the destruction wreaked by the flames.
Smoke billows from a scorched area during a wildfire in Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse. Photo by Idriss BIGOU-GILLES / AFP
One person has died in the fire, a 65-year-old woman who reportedly told gendarmes that she was determined to remain in her home, and several people have been seriously injured, including two firefighters.
Burnt vehicles in Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse. Photo by Idriss BIGOU-GILLES / AFP
But most of the damage is to property, with the full scale of the destruction likely to take weeks to asses.
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A burnt building n Jonquières, southern France on August 7, 2025. Photo by Idriss Bigou-Gilles / AFP
Access to the forest area is closed until at least Sunday, with local authorities saying the roads are too dangerous due to trailing electrical cables and fire debris.
Charred trees behind the sign indicating the entrance to the Regional Nature Park of the Mediterranean Narbonnaise. Photo by Valentine CHAPUIS / AFP
Many roads in the area remain closed and homes are without power.
French winemaker Fabien Mestre looks at a burnt vineyard in Tournissan. Photo by Idriss Bigou-Gilles / AFP)
Around 2,000 people have been evacuated from their homes.
French winemaker Hugues Maurin touches a vine at a burnt vineyard in Tournissan. Photo by Idriss Bigou-Gilles / AFP
A burnt forest area during a wildfire in Coustouge. Photo by Idriss Bigou-Gilles / AFP
A firefighter walks past a burnt building in Jonquières. Photo by Idriss Bigou-Gilles / AFP