France's biggest wildfire of the summer has eclipsed the size of Paris and is still spreading

France’s biggest wildfire in years was spreading quickly Wednesday in a Mediterranean region near Spain after leaving one person dead and several injured, authorities said.

France’s biggest wildfire in years was spreading quickly Wednesday in a Mediterranean region near Spain after leaving one person dead and several injured, authorities said. The fire burned an area larger than Paris, and the military was called in to help.

French Prime Minister François Bayrou deplored a “disaster on an unprecedented scale” in the region.

Over 2,100 firefighters and several water bomber aircraft battled the blaze that broke out Tuesday afternoon in the village of Ribaute in the Aude region, a rural, wooded area that is home to wineries.

The fire, which has burned 39,500 acres, remained “very active” on Wednesday and continued to progress as night fell, the local administration said. The weather was hot, dry and windy, making it difficult for firefighters to contain the blaze.

Villagers sought to help douse the flames or save their homes and small businesses, and described their alarm at the fire’s speed. Ash filled the air and coated windows and cars, and several roads were closed around the region.