President offers 'all necessary support' to authorities tackling wildfire in southern France

President Salvador Illa has expressed his full support for the authorities and public services working "tirelessly" to contain a wildfire in southern France.

"We're offering all necessary support to the authorities," Illa stated in a message posted on X, adding that he is "closely following" the fire's developments.

The blaze broke out on Tuesday afternoon in Ribaute, a town located between Narbonne and Carcassonne, and has already claimed the life of at least one person.

According to French authorities the fire has affected 13,000 hectares and remains active amid unfavorable weather conditions.

Around 1,800 firefighters were working on the ground on Wednesday morning, supported by aerial units.

One person has died in Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, while two civilians have been injured, one critically. Seven firefighters have sustained injuries and one person remains missing.

The Catalan president also offered his condolences to the family of the deceased and wished a swift recovery to those injured.

Due to the fire, approximately 2,500 homes have been left without electricity, and the A9 motorway between Perpignan Nord and Narbonne has been closed to traffic.

Smoke reaches Catalonia 

Smoke and the smell of burning from the wildfire in southern France reached various towns in Catalonia, from Girona to the Maresme coast.

By 1pm, Catalan emergency services received 183 calls to the 112 emergency line related to smoke and the smell of burning, mainly from the Maresme area (121 calls), as well as Baix Empordà and Vallès Occidental.

Civil Protection reported that there  were no active wildfires in Catalonia, and the smoke and ash detected came from the fire in southern France.

The Fire Department has deployed units to inspect calls, but all cases have been deemed false alarms.