More than One hundred hectares traveled by flames, evacuated residents… At Rove, we saw the 1999 nightmare again when a large fire ravaged part of the blue coast. However, unlike 1999, where part of the population had to be evacuated by the sea, the evacuations of the 150 residents concerned (including 36 by the sea), and their securing on the port of the vesse, were calm. At this stage, no house has yet been impacted and, according to the emergency services, which held a press briefing this Saturday morning July 5 in a command post (PC) established in the Karting of Rove, “the conditions are favorable”, by that the fire could be controlled in the coming hours.
The fire, the most important of the Bouches-du-Rhône since the start of the season, would have left shortly after 3 hours, from a roadside. The particularly dry vegetation, and a slight wind, pushed the flames quickly to the creeks. The firefighter system is mounted crescendo. Some 350 firefighters – sappers and sailors -, Canadians and water bomber helicopters remain mobilized In an attempt to circumscribe the disaster, but strong fears remain while the wind from the West, announced this afternoon, threatens to strengthen the left side of the fire.
The sub-prefect of Istres, Christophe Borgus, indicated that “All national and departmental means have been initiated“. The prefect has also activated the crisis cell in the prefecture. The state representative recalls that “Bouches-du-Rhône are placed in maximum alert for forest fires “. Colonel Beccari, departmental director of SDIS 13, also took stock of the fire and his difficulties. “”This fire, who left at night, was mainly guided by a very difficult to access sector, very hilly and dry vegetation. There are still inaccessible edges which will have to be treated by an aeroterrestrial combination. But we managed to defend the dwellings of the Calanque de la Vesse. Preventive evacuations have been carried out by the sea, but the inhabitants should, if everything goes well, reintegrate their homes by the end of the morning“.
The mayor of Rove, Paul Sabaltino, said “put the municipal means to support the emergency services and the inhabitants of his town“. An investigation will be opened to determine the causes of this fire. The authorities remind everyone, residents as vacationers, the absolute need to respect prevention instructions and prohibitions for access to forest massifs during extreme risk periods.
