A fire « virulent » releasing a large plume of smoke was underway Thursday south of Avignon, towards Tarascon: at the start of the evening, it had already traveled around 720 hectares, mobilizing nearly 500 firefighters, the emergency services announced.
The fire started around 4 p.m. from the regional railway line linking Tarascon to Graveson, in the Bouches-du-Rhône. Thanks to a wind present in the north of the department and scorching temperatures, the fire “jumped” on the Montagnette massif, a small limestone massif covered two-thirds with Aleppo pines located south of Avignon.
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#fire municipality of Graveson 150 firefighters on site. The D570 between Avignon and Arles is cut off. @Firefighters_13 recalls the instructions: stay at home, let the emergency services pass pic.twitter.com/mJK2bkM5Bz
— France 3 Provence (@France3Provence) July 14, 2022
The firefighters on the ground were assisted by two water-bombing helicopters and three Dash planes.
TER circulation interrupted
Around 8 p.m. the fire was not fixed and progressed in the heart of the massif. For the moment no dwelling has been affected and the firefighters, who “worked tirelessly” to protect the abbey of Frigolet, did not count any injuries.
The circulation of TER trains was interrupted between Avignon and Tarascon or Nîmes.
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?? A virulent #fire of forest broke out at the end of the day in the Montagnette massif near #Graveson (13). The plume is particularly developed and the #feu very active tonight.
Photos via @Laura_Lakitow pic.twitter.com/JQxzeu9eFB— Guillaume Séchet (@Meteovilles) July 14, 2022
The fire would have already covered 720 hectares, but the very dense plume of smoke prevented a more precise assessment from the firefighters. The smoke and ashes thus reached Avignon, where the theater festival is in full swing.
Last week, 650 hectares of forest had burned in neighboring Gard, and since Tuesday relief workers have been fighting against two very large forest fires in Gironde, with already 4,700 hectares devastateds.
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