00:00Cotignac, in the heart of Provence, often awarded the title of the most beautiful village in France.
00:06Today, it smoulders, covered in ash from wildfires that ripped through this community,
00:12devastating residents of this spectacular cliffside medieval village.
00:17Around 60 houses have been destroyed so far, with horses and other domestic animals killed in their homes, stables and
00:25fields.
00:26Locals broke down in tears after losing everything.
00:30When I went to work this morning, my colleague told me that he passed away from the fire.
00:30The fire was declared in the fire, and it was my ex-belle-mère who was stuck in flames.
00:37She was returned to her to save her children and put her in security.
00:41And in fact, she was stuck in the flames.
00:44And her sister was able to get her in the car.
00:48They wanted to leave all of them.
00:49And in the end, they were stuck in the car.
00:52And in panic, she got out of the car.
00:54She was buried in the piscine of her neighbors.
00:56When I went to work this morning, my colleague told me that his parents completely lost their house because of
01:02the fire last night in Cotignac.
01:04So they had to leave.
01:06With the fire threatening the centuries-old monastery overlooking the village, the priests and nuns took refuge in the residents'
01:13homes.
01:13Cotignac has around 2,500 residents, and the population rises to almost 10,000 in the summer tourism season.
01:22A community now rallying together in the aftermath of the worst fire they've ever seen.
01:28Many of the local men volunteering to help the pompiers where they can.
01:32I, in fact, was welcomed to someone else's house in Cotignac.
01:36A friend of a friend.
01:37I showed up with my cat and my best friend and his baby.
01:39And they took us on like family.
01:42So we're lucky to have a small, tight-knit community.
01:44And I'm thankful for that.
01:47That's Cotignac.
01:47Water planes continue to fly overhead as fires outside the villages are still raging on.
