About 1,400 firefighters have been deployed in France's southern Aude region to prevent the country's largest wildfire in decades from reigniting

Firefighting operations continued on Saturday in south-western France to ensure that the largest wildfire the country has experienced in decades does not flare up again, a fire brigade spokesman said.

Residents were allowed to return to their homes with roads reopened, although authorities have issued a strict ban from accessing the forest.