The Gard experienced several major fire outbreaks on Monday June 13, 2022, one of which destroyed 60 bungalows in one of the largest campsites in Europe, at Grau-du-Roi. 85 hectares were burned.
Significant resources have been deployed since the beginning of the afternoon of Monday June 13 by the Gard firefighters. They received reinforcement from 240 firefighters from neighboring departments after the start of several forest fires.
According to the latest press release from the fire department, at 8:45 p.m. the fires were “fixed”, but remained under surveillance during the night.
“Important work on the edges of the lights will be carried out in order to avoid any risk of resumptions”, say the firefighters.
large flames
In Serviers, about twenty kilometers north of Nîmes, some 100 hectares of forest burned. Canadairs carried out numerous drops during the day to extinguish the flames.
In Ledenon, a town near the famous Pont du Gard, 65 hectares of undergrowth, forest and brush also went up in smoke. Around sixty firefighters, helped by their colleagues from Vaucluse, were hired to protect homes, including a stud farm with around thirty horses.
Not far from there, in Blauzac, where the Canadairs also intervened, an additional 20 ha burned, according to the same source.
“The multiplication of departures in a very short time” to render “relief action difficult”, underlined the firefighters, urging the population to “the greatest vigilance” in this “risky period”.
60 bungalows ravaged
It was at Grau-du-Roi, a seaside resort on the Gard coast, that the first fire of the day broke out, shortly before 2 p.m., within the Espiguette campsite, which has more than 2,000 pitches distributed on 42 ha between sea and Camargue.
“60 bungalows, located on a single island of the campsite, are completely destroyed”, said in a press release the prefecture of Gard. By late afternoon, the fire was “limited to this area”.
“The flooding and clearing actions are in progress. Part of the device will be kept under surveillance for part of the night,” had specified the firefighters at the beginning of the evening.
No injuries were to be deplored among the 3,000 holidaymakers registered on Monday on the campsite register, according to the prefecture.
“The holidaymakers have been brought to safety or left the area on their own to the city’s convention center and the yacht club: no one is in danger anymore in the campsite”, according to the same source, who was unable to immediately specify the exact number of people evacuated.
“The other campsites located in the surrounding area have been asked to possibly welcome evacuated holidaymakers this evening. A medico-psychological emergency unit will be set up by the Gard Red Cross”also indicated the prefecture.
Video. The replay of 7 Minutes from June 13, 2022
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