Firefighting operations continued on Saturday in southwestern France to prevent the largest forest fire the country has seen in decades from reigniting, according to a fire brigade spokesperson. About 1,500 firefighters remain deployed in the Aude region. The fire broke out in the village of Riboulet, located between Carcassonne and Narbonne in the Aude area, on Tuesday afternoon and quickly spread, destroying more than 16,000 hectares of land amid dry and windy weather. Reports indicated the fire, which destroyed the largest area since the 1949 forest fires, was brought under control by Thursday evening. The fire affected residents of 16 municipalities, forcing many to evacuate, and some homes were damaged by the flames. One woman died, five civilians were injured, and 19 firefighters were also hurt. While roads have reopened, the forests in the area remain closed.