The fire raged in the Corbieres hills in the Aude department, inland from the Mediterranean, causing authorities to shut the A9 motorway linking France to Spain.

Camping grounds and one village were partially evacuated, and several local roads were closed.

"The fire is spreading very quickly because the weather conditions are unfavourable. It's one of the driest areas in the department and the wind is strong," Lucie Roesch, secretary general of the Aude prefecture, told AFP.

Some 980 firemen backed by 14 aeroplanes were battling the flames, she said.

"The night is going to be long," Roesch added.

The Aude department has seen an increase in the areas burnt in recent years, aggravated by low rainfall and the removal of vineyards, which used to help break the progression of fires.