A major force was deployed late Saturday afternoon to try to put out the flames. The Pyrénées-Orientales, hit by drought, had been placed on red alert for the risk of forest fires.
A major fire ravaged the Pyrénées-Orientales this Saturday, August 24, while the department had been placed on red alert for forest fire risk. A campsite and several homes near the blaze had to be evacuated as a precaution.
The vegetation fire broke out in the late afternoon, between the villages of Villelongue-dels-Monts and Saint-Génis, in the south of the Pyrénées-Orientales, threatening inhabited areas. “Efforts are currently focused on protecting several sensitive points located in the axis of the fire, including a campsite in the commune of Saint-Génis and a housing estate comprising several homes,” the firefighters said in a press release“The municipal safeguard plan was activated” in the two municipalities, causing the evacuation of residents and holidaymakers, who were directed to municipal halls.
340 firefighters, 7 Canadairs, 2 helicopters, 2 bombers
The fire that broke out at 5:16 p.m. “is fueled by gusts of wind from the south reaching 60 km/h”, and had burned about ten hectares in the space of an hour, according to firefighters. At the end of the day, the fire, still ongoing, mobilized a workforce of 340 firefighters, seven Canadairs, two helicopters and two bomber planes.
ud83dudd25 In the Pyrénées-Orientales, a large fire broke out in Villelongue-dels-Monts. It is spreading rapidly under 35°C and strong winds. (u00a9 Josiane Torrano) pic.twitter.com/bBKTrm3Yx6
— Meteor Express (@MeteoExpress) August 24, 2024
ud83dudd34 A major fire has been reported in Villelongue-Dels-Monts in the Pyrénées-Orientales (66). The firefighters of @SDIS66 are engaged. Several sensitive points are threatened.
ud83dudcf8 F. Lasik pic.twitter.com/Ub5ihmtkK4— Forest Fires (@FeuxdeForet_FR) August 24, 2024
ud83dudd25 110 hectares were covered by the#fire between Saint-Génis-des-Fontaines and Villelongue-dels-Monts in the Pyrenees-Orientales [66]
u00a9ufe0f Christophe Gault
ud83dudc49 To follow its progress live, go to our site: pic.twitter.com/648kp982ri
— Forest Fire Prevention & Reporting Association (@asso_psfdf) August 24, 2024
The department, hit by drought, had been placed on red alert for risk of forest fires by Météo-France on Friday for Saturday, a maximum level reached for the first time in France since the start of summer.
On the night of Sunday to Monday, a fire broke out in the seaside resort of Canet-en-Roussillon, causing the evacuation of 3,000 residents from a campsite located 100 meters south of where the fire started.
