STORY: Firefighters in Saint-Vallier, southern France, continued to battle hotspots early Tuesday (August 12), as authorities monitored the contained wildfire, warning that hot, dry conditions could still spark new blazes.

The fire, which began on August 5, is one of the largest recorded in France since 1949. Spread over 16,000 hectares (around 40,000 acres), it has led to one fatality, injured 19 firefighters and six civilians, and several dozen homes have been destroyed.

French authorities have attributed the fire to the impact of climate change.

Before the fire began, the region's wine growers had dug up an extensive area of their vineyards, which traditionally serve as a natural, moisture-retentive firebreak, as declining wine consumption and subsidies have reduced profits.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: WILDFIRE RAGING / FIREFIGHTERS BATTLING WILDFIRE

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: CHEZ GOUREAU, SAINT-VALLIER, NOUVELLE-AQUITAINE, FRANCE (AUGUST 12, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all) (NIGHT SHOTS)

1. VARIOUS OF WILDFIRE BURNING

2. FIREFIGHTER TRYING TO DOUSE FLAMES

3. VARIOUS OF WILDFIRE BURNING

4. EMERGENCY VEHICLE DRIVING PAST

5. VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTING VEHICLES AT SCENE

6. FIREFIGHTERS STANDING NEXT TO VEHICLE

7. LIGHTS, BUTTONS, AND GAUGES ON VEHICLE

8. FIREFIGHTER TAKING HELMET AND CLOSING VEHICLE DOOR

9. LIGHTS, BUTTONS, AND GAUGES ON VEHICLE

10. FIREFIGHTERS STANDING NEXT TO VEHICLES

11. FIREFIGHTERS WALKING PAST FIREFIGHTING VEHICLES