Firefighters fight against the flames in Saint-André (66) on Monday August 14, 2023 – photo Yacine Bouchaib / SDIS 66
In the Pyrénées-Orientales, the town of Saint-André suffered a violent fire in the evening of Monday August 14, maintained by unfavorable weather conditions.
Very bad weather
The weather conditions were very unfavorable in Roussillon on Monday August 14, 2023. A very hot peak occurred during the afternoon with temperatures well above 35°C. The Ille-sur-Têt and Céret stations measured up to 39,4°C late afternoon when the fire broke out. In addition, the autan wind blew more and more strongly over the hours of the day, reaching up to 100 km/h in Cap Béar and 70 to 80 km/h in gusts in the Saint-André sector.
Maximum temperatures and gusts of wind in the Pyrénées-Orientales on Monday, August 14, 2023 – via meteociel.fr
The flames started at the end of the afternoon of Monday August 14, 2023 around 5 p.m. in the town of Saint-André. With very hot and very windy weather, they didn’t take long to progress. The fire quickly became a major blaze, requiring the mobilization of several hundred firefighters on the ground, assisted in the air by numerous canadairs and several helicopters.
Violent fire in Saint-André (66) at the end of the afternoon of Monday August 14, 2023 – photo via Forest Fires
3500 evacuations and 480 hectares destroyed
The fire quickly spread to homes, forcing several hundred people to urgently evacuate. In the process, nearly 2,000 campers were evacuated from several campsites located between Saint-André and Argelès. In total, around 3,500 people were evacuated and some holidaymakers had to spend the night in communal halls. The photo below shows firefighters fighting in the middle of a residential area.
Violent fire in Saint-André (66) on Monday August 14, 2023 – photo Yacine Bouchaib / SDIS 66
Part of a campsite was ravaged by flames, as shown in the photo below. According to the Prefecture of Pyrénées-Orientales, 30 homes were affected by the fire, including 8 in which the flames penetrated. The latest report shows 480 hectares destroyed, a considerable number. Finally, 17 firefighters were treated for smoke poisoning.
Campsite ravaged by fire in Saint-André (66) on Monday August 14, 2023 – photo SDIS 66
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