The biggest fire of summer makes one dead and 13 injured

Faced with the magnitude of the fire. Furthermore, the EU said it was “ready to mobilize” means, “if necessary”. Moreover, While the fire went south-east. In addition, the Mediterranean coast, the wind changed direction “and pushes the fire to return to its starting point,” Lucie Roesch, a local representative of the French State, told AFP.

“The wind and the trajectory of fire evolve. For example, The device is readjusted. Meanwhile, The fire goes to fairly inaccessible wooded areas. Therefore, ” she added, stressing that “the situation is always unfavorable” because of the drought, the heat and the “strong wind”.

Threatened Tuesday evening. Therefore, in the night by the progress of the fire, the A9 motorway between France and Spain was able to reopen in the early afternoon. Similarly, In the most victimized commune. Therefore, Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, located 30 km from the city of Narbonne, a 65-year-old woman biggest fire summer makes one was found dead in her house, said Rémi Recio, local representative of the State. Another resident who had been missing was found alive, the firefighters announced.

Fifteen affected municipalities

The prefecture also counted 13 injured: two hospitalized inhabitants. including a seriously burned, and eleven firefighters, including a seriously affected.

The fire has traveled 16. 000 hectares of garrigue and conifers in the territory of the 15 affected municipalities, destroyed or damaged 25 homes as well as 35 vehicles, according to a still provisional assessment which does not yet specify the burned area. The head of government. François Bayrou, goes there in the afternoon, as well as the Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau.

“Open investigation”

Overlooking the fire front. an AFP photographer was able to see the fire progress very quickly in opaque smoke, while high flames fueled by the wind gnawed the crests of the hilly landscape of the Corbières massif, where many other biggest fire summer makes one homes continue to burn the pine forest and the vegetation.

An investigation was opened to determine the causes of fire, still unknown, which left shortly after 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, we learned from the local prosecutor’s office. No hypothesis is currently privileged. In the sky, all national air means have been mobilized. A “colossal” device, according to Mr. Recio, specifying that 2000 firefighters are supported by 500 ground machines.

At this stage, this is the biggest fire in summer in France. At the end of July. in the middle of the summer season, civil security had recorded more than 15,000 hectares burned on the national territory for 9,000 fire departures, mainly on the Mediterranean coast.

Persistent drought

More than 2. 500 homes are still deprived of electricity and it is too early for the hundreds of residents evacuated Tuesday evening to return to their home, warned the prefecture.

The authorities reiterated their safety instructions to biggest fire summer makes one the population. calling for “remaining confined except order of evacuation given by the firefighters” and not to clutter the road network so as not to hinder the emergency services.

Mined by a persistent drought that easily makes the vegetation flammable. the department was placed in red vigilance with forest fires, with a “very high” risk of fire. Several fires have already touched the south of France since June. Some 24. 000 hectares have burned in France since the start of the year, according to the European service Copernicus, whose data stops on August 5.

A forest fire also declared itself in a forest of the Tarifa seaside resort on Tuesday in the far south of Spain. leading to the evacuation of “1550 people”, while Spain is experiencing this week an intense heat wave. Experts believe that climate change caused by humans increases the intensity. duration and frequency of extreme heat that feeds biggest fire summer makes one forest fires.