French firefighters contain Aude blaze as fire emissions hit record levels

Firefighters in France's Aude department have contained a wildfire that burned 100 hectares near Narbonne, according to local authorities. More than 300 firefighters and ten aircraft were mobilized to suppress the blaze, with crew members remaining on scene overnight to monitor and extinguish remaining hot spots.

The containment comes as new environmental data indicates that wildfires in France have produced nearly four million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions between January and early August. This output exceeds total emissions recorded over the same period during severe fire seasons in 2003 and 2022.

Meanwhile, French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu is set to visit Gironde on 17 August to launch reconstruction initiatives for regions devastated by recent blazes.

Sources: Le Figaro, Le Monde, Le Soir, Libération, RTBF Info