Fifteen people were evacuated Sunday, September 1 following a "violent departure of forest fire" in a peri-urban area in Courbessac, Gard, announced the fire department.
For the moment, the area covered by the fire at 4:29 pm is unknown, but "no houses have been touched for the moment," they say. The prefecture had warned of the high risk of fire because of gusts of wind expected in this department, particularly affected since the end of June by the heat wave as well as an intense and prolonged drought.
One hundred firefighters, four canadairs and "20 fighting machines"
"About 20 fire engines and nearly 100 firefighters are already engaged, a command post is in the process of activation, and four civil security firefighters are also being alerted to assist the firefighters at the scene. ground, "said in a statement the Departmental Fire and Rescue Service (SDIS).
"The first actions of firefighters are focused on the protection of people and homes, because this fire is located in peri-urban," adds the SDIS. According to the prefecture, this year the forest fires have already covered more than 1,000 hectares, the heaviest record, for 29 years for the department.
On August 2, the pilot of a water bomber fighting a particularly violent fire in Générac was killed in the crash of his plane. In one week, two fires had devastated more than 800 hectares of forest on the commune.