In France, the Biggest Wildfire in Decades

A fire that broke out Tuesday afternoon in southern France has quickly burst into the biggest blaze the country has seen in 76 years, reports the New York Times, with the country's prime minister, François Bayrou, calling it a "catastrophe on an unprecedented scale." A look at the devastation as of Thursday:

• The fire broke out in the Aude region and has now encompassed 15 municipalities and about 40,000 acres.
• At least one person is dead and three are missing. Two civilians and 11 firefighters are injured; two of the injured are critical.
• Despite the efforts of some 2,100 firefighters, the blaze remains uncontained, reports the AP. Though its initial rapid spread was on the back of weeks of hot, dry weather, firefighters caught a break overnight with easing winds and lower temperatures, leading to hopes of containment soon. "The battle is not over yet," says region administrator Christian Pouget. "The fire could reignite in a more significant way."