2023-08-17 21:23:49
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A major fire has broken out in Saint-Andre near Argeles-sur-Mer in south-west France. © dpa
Forest fires have broken out in southern France. Thousands of vacationers have been evacuated and hundreds of firefighters are on duty.
Saint-André — Devastating forest fires are raging in southern France. On Monday (August 14), around 3,000 holidaymakers were evacuated from several campsites due to the fires. Trees and undergrowth are on fire due to heat, drought and strong winds. The Pyrénées-Orientales department bordering Spain is affected. Unlike the catastrophic fires in Hawaii, no casualties have yet been reported in France. Winds make extinguishing work difficult.
Fires in southern France: 3,000 tourists evacuated from campsites
In southern France, a large contingent of firefighters is fighting a fire. Countless trees and bushes were on fire in the Pyrénées-Orientales department. There is a fire of great violence underway, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced on Monday evening. He called on residents and holidaymakers to be extremely vigilant. The fire brigade was deployed with 13 planes, 3 helicopters and more than 500 firefighters. Recordings showing the fires were shared on social networks such as Twitter.
The fire broke out in the afternoon between Saint-André and the well-known seaside resort of Argelès-sur-Mer on the Mediterranean. The scene of the fire is west of the city of Perpignan, not far from the Spanish border. There are no larger contiguous forest areas locally. The fight against the flames continues, as Environment Minister Christophe Béchu announced late Monday evening. So far, four campsites have been evacuated. The authorities expected that more people would have to be brought to safety. The drought and strong winds increased the risk of the fire spreading.
Forest fire in southern France: “The situation is catastrophic”
As Prefect Rodrigue Furcy said on Monday evening, 480 hectares of natural areas have already gone up in flames. The fire is not yet under control, but the situation is beginning to improve. The hope is to limit the flames to an area where they do not threaten residential buildings. A river course can help as a natural barrier for the fire. The wind is driving the flames away from Argelès-sur-Mer at the moment. The firefighting continued throughout the night.
“It’s a catastrophic situation,” Saint-André Mayor Samuel Moli told France Bleu. “We’re facing a fire like we’ve never seen before,” he said. “Our community is badly affected and there is a lot of damage.” Residential houses and a supermarket were evacuated. A gymnasium and a large multi-purpose hall were opened to accommodate the evacuees. According to a local radio station, several roads were closed to traffic and the power supply in Argelès-sur-Mer was temporarily interrupted. The department of Pyrénées-Orientales is hit harder than any other French region by dryness and drought.
Fires broke out on the Greek islands of Rhodes and Corfu in late July. Numerous vacationers had to be brought to safety. Many locals lost their livelihood. (vk/dpa/afp)
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