In southwest France, firefighting operations continued on Saturday to ensure that the largest forest fire the country has seen in decades does not reignite, according to a fire brigade spokesperson. The operation is expected to continue until at least Sunday evening. Approximately 1,500 firefighters remain deployed in the Aude region. The fire started 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 that the fire, which destroyed the largest area since the 1949 forest fires, was brought under control on 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, along with 19 firefighters. While roads have reopened, forests in the area remain closed.