Fire in the Aude caused by a vehicle in flames: 400 hectares ravaged, 500 firefighters mobilized, evacuated people, the point on the fire of Moux and Douzens

It’s a black Saturday for the Alaric massif. Around 1:30 p.m., a fire started on the edge of the A61 motorway, in the town of Douzens, in the Carcassonne-Narbonne direction. According to first information, the fire started from a flame vehicle parked on the emergency stop band. Very quickly, the bushy of the aisle caught fire, and under the effect of the rotating wind, the blaze gained intensity and area.

At the end of the day, and while the fire was not yet under control, a first assessment reported 400 hectares traveled by the flames. In the afternoon, the fire threatened several sectors, including the slopes of the Alaric. “We feared at a time for Fabrezan and Fontcouverte”recognizes Colonel Magny, in charge of operations and director of the SDIS of Aude. “The conditions are particularly unfavorable with an unstable northwest wind“, He added. The firefighters were not helped by the ambient drought either: “30 mm of water in the vegetation and 30 % humidity in the air”detailed the colonel.

Important means implemented

To cope with this fire, significant resources were engaged: at the end of the day 306 firefighters were on the front, while 180 others were in transit to come and lend them a hand, bringing nearly 500 the number of soldiers of fire mobilized. The air resources were also particularly important: seven Canadians, a Dash, two water bombers, a command helicopter and the Dragon 66 flew over the area and carried out numerous water and delaying lagages.

The Audois firefighters benefited from the solidarity of many colleagues from the surrounding departments, notably the SDIS of Haute-Garonne, Hérault, Pyrénées-Orientales and Breton firefighters arrived this Saturday morning in Narbonne, in prepositioning, and which were therefore immediately put to the work.

The command post was installed on the Moux stadium, from where we saw the flames swallow the trees and transform them into torches.

Faced with the threat, several people were evacuated as a precaution. In Moux, a couple of elderly people and their grandson and another person were taken care of by the town. A fifth person has been evacuated to Fontcouverte, also indicates the inter -ministerial defense and civil protection service of the Aude prefecture. The place called Vals has also been the subject of particular attention and the fire soldiers concentrated several means to avoid any spread to the dwellings.

This fire had significant consequences on traffic. First on the highway, where only the left track was practicable, which led to a cap of ten kilometers. The exit was recommended and the entry not recommended at the exit 24 in Carcassonne-Est, which also led to an increase in traffic on the secondary network. The departmental road 212, which links Fontcouverte to Lagrasse, was also closed to traffic, indicates the prefecture.

Faced with this new fire caused by a fire vehicle, local elected officials express their dismay. The mayor of Douzens, Philippe Rappeneau, recalls that this is not the first time that a fire has started as follows: “Two years ago, in Capendu, a truck had caught fire with the same script. Four years ago, it was the same. It will have to be all about the table. I think you would have to create a 15-meter safety strip along the highway. Yes, it costs money, but a fire like that, how much is it?”

In Moux, solidarity immediately organized. The mayor, Gérard Pioche, coordinated the reception of the evacuated: “We were lunch when I was warned. We brought water packs to firefighters. All the municipal teams mobilized”he explains.

In the early evening, the fire remains active, and all of the enrolled staff continues to fight against its progression.

The Aude prefecture calls on the population to absolute prudence, not to approach the disaster areas and not to hinder the operations of the soldiers of fire.