Drought: the Pyrénées-Orientales in "very severe risk" of fire

Europe 1 with AFP / Photo credit: ARNAUD LE VU / HANS LUCAS / HANS LUCAS VIA AFP 18:41 p.m., May 15, 2023

After its passage on May 10 at the highest level of drought alert, the department of Pyrénées-Orientales is placed Monday in "very severe" risk of fire, announced the prefecture. "The department of Pyrénées-Orientales is placed by meteorological indicators in vigilance forest fires risk very severe," said the prefecture in a statement, specifying that a "preventive device type summer is already put in place for the duration of vigilance".

Additional resources deployed

"Conditions remain unfavourable this week in the Pyrénées-Orientales, with high fire risks. Under the authority of the @Prefet66, an important device has been pre-positioned," Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin wrote on Twitter. "On my instruction, in addition to departmental means, a water bomber helicopter and several intervention groups will be deployed," he added.

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A specific cell will be set up with the gendarmerie to track down possible arsonists, the authorities explained at a press briefing on Monday. Brush clearing operations are also stopped, because of the risk of fire that could be caused by sparks. The Pyrénées-Orientales have already been the scene in mid-April of the first major fire of this year in the country, with flames that have traveled about 1,000 hectares. Further restrictions on water use came into effect in the department on 10 May, where the drought alert was raised to its maximum level.