A firefighter's or firefighter's helmet.

(illustration) -

ISA HARSIN / SIPA

Nearly a hundred firefighters were mobilized early Saturday evening in the Basque Country on low and medium mountain fires, fueled by strong winds, vegetation fires that did not claim any victims but led to the evacuation of hikers as a precaution, authorities said.

More than 60 firefighters from the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, which were to be reinforced in the evening by firefighters from the Landes, were engaged in "a multitude of small outbreaks" including two main ones: one since the morning came from neighboring Spain, in the area of Col d'Ibardin, and the other in the area of ​​the summit of La Rhune (905 meters above sea level), said the sub-prefect of Bayonne.

🔥🌲 # FeudeForêt in Ascain (Pyrénées-Atlantiques): to reinforce the 60 firefighters from SDIS 64 who have been fighting the flames since midday, 20 firefighters from @ SDIS40 have been hired.

The #Dragon 64 is mobilized for reconnaissance operations.


📸 D. Reis / Dragon 64 pic.twitter.com/99WBuHrEM6

- Civil Security (@SecCivileFrance) February 20, 2021

Hikers evacuated as a precaution

No injuries are to be deplored, and in the early evening the flames did not threaten short-term housing in this isolated area, but more than 70 hikers have been evacuated as a precaution since Saturday morning, others invited to turn back, said the sub-prefect, Philippe Le Moing-Surzur.

An estimate of the area of ​​vegetation, mainly low, traversed by the flames was not available on Saturday evening, due to the importance of the smoke released, and the number of small scattered outbreaks linked to embers jumps due to the winds, he added.

Due to "meteorological conditions favorable to the propagation of fire", with in particular mild temperatures and strong winds - gusts of up to 100 km / h expected on the Pyrenean terrain - the prefecture of Pyrénées-Atlantiques has issued a decree of 'ban on the incineration of plants until Monday, in order to prevent ecobuages, which are regularly in this mountain area at the origin of uncontrolled fires.

The origin of the fires on Saturday was unknown, and a possible link with scrapping not established at this stage, said the sub-prefect.

Miscellaneous

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