France is battling its worst wildfire in more than seven decades, which has scorched an area larger than Paris. Officials said the blaze, raging in the southern Aude region, has slowed overnight but remains out of control.

More than 2,000 firefighters, supported by 500 firefighting vehicles, gendarmerie and army personnel, are still on the ground. Since the fire erupted near the village of Ribaute on Tuesday, one woman has died, 13 people,  including 11 firefighters, have been injured, and two are in critical condition. Three people have been reported missing and dozens of homes destroyed, according to the Aude prefecture.

Christophe Magny, one of the officials leading the firefighting operation, told local outlet France Info on Thursday that crews hoped to contain the blaze later in the day.

Overnight images showed firefighters battling the 16,000-hectare (62-square-mile) inferno, which has lost some of its intensity due to calmer winds and cooler temperatures.

The fight from the air has been just as intense. On Wednesday alone, helicopters and planes carried out 130 water drops in an effort to slow the flames.

Satellite images taken on Thursday revealed vast swathes of scorched land and thick smoke plumes spreading across the region.

Authorities have urged residents not to return to their homes while operations continue, with 17 temporary shelters set up for evacuees.

Villages in the Corbières area remain on high alert. Officials say the blaze is the largest recorded in France since 1949.

French Prime Minister François Bayrou described the fire as a “catastrophe on an unprecedented scale” and linked its severity to global warming and prolonged drought. Environment Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher also attributed the disaster to climate change.

Officials said the fire spread rapidly on Tuesday, driven by strong winds, parched vegetation, and extreme summer heat. Jacques Piraud, mayor of the village of Jonquières, where several houses were destroyed, told Le Monde that about 80% of the village was burnt.

“It’s dramatic. It’s black, the trees are completely charred,” he said.

During a visit to Aude, Bayrou emphasised the environmental connection while French President Emmanuel Macron vowed full national support.

“All of the nation’s resources are mobilised,” Macron said, urging the public to show “the utmost caution.”