Fire in the Pyrénées-Orientales: the fire is fixed, but there is a significant risk of it starting again

The fire that broke out in the Aspres massif on Thursday has now been contained. However, the SDIS 66 is calling for vigilance, due to strong winds and residual fires that could cause new outbreaks of fire.

On Thursday, September 12, at around 2:30 p.m., a vegetation fire broke out in the Aspres massif (Pyrénées Orientales), affecting the municipalities of Castelnou and Camélas. In total, 400 hectares were covered in flames and 280 burned. Since midnight, the fire has been contained, as indicated by the Departmental Fire and Rescue Service 66 (SDIS). Up to 800 firefighters were mobilized for this operation and 500 firefighters remained on the ground during the night to monitor and secure the scene. Five firefighters were slightly injured. Two were “hospitalized respectively for a broken nose and a broken cheekbone, and three others are more lightly injured, having suffered dust discharges in their eyes or smoke inhalation,” specifies The Parisian.

Adverse weather: “we call for the greatest vigilance”

This Friday morning, at 7:30 a.m., three water-bombing helicopters were deployed, “a HBE from SDIS 66 and two Condors from Civil Security”, specifies the SDIS 66. In addition, “from 2 p.m., an additional helicopter from SDIS 66 will reinforce the system”. Now, due to residual fires that may persist in the area and weather conditions that “remain unfavorable (strong winds, drought), explains the SDIS 66, “we call for the greatest vigilance. Avoid any activity that could cause a fire and immediately report any outbreak of fire”. It is advisable not to go to the affected sites, avoid closed roads, and follow the official accounts of the prefecture and SDIS 66 to stay informed. For the time being, the departmental roads RD48, RD2 and RD58 remain closed.

On the social network X, the prefect of the Pyrénées-Orientales wanted to remind several instructions to be applied by the inhabitants of the region and potential walkers and holidaymakers present in the surroundings. In the Corbières and Roussillon sectors, the circulation of motor vehicles, walks, horseback riding, cycling, on unsurfaced tracks and paths within the massifs concerned are prohibited. Traffic is also prohibited on the RD38 towards Força Réal and the Périllos road. “Slash-and-burn remains prohibited until September 30, risky work likely to cause sparks, the use of approved fire pits” are also prohibited to protect the department from fire.

Areas still on fire and “rather steep terrain”

“We put out the fire around midnight and continued to work hard until 3am to get to what was burning quite badly in places,” said Colonel Guillaume Brunet, from the Pyrénées-Orientales fire brigade. France Blue Roussillon. Now, “we are in a phase of treating the edges, drowning and going to find the first residuals that are still present in number inside the damaged area. There will be a lot of work all day long at least, because 300 hectares is a large fire perimeter and there are many stumps that continue to burn, these are areas that we have to go and find in a fairly steep terrain and so we have to be very vigilant and have real active surveillance and treatment of hot spots” he explains.

The Pyrénées-Orientales department is facing a severe drought for the third consecutive year. A constant, especially in this Aspres massif, as recalledColonel Éric Belgioïno, head of the Pyrénées-Orientales fire brigade, speaking to France Bleu Roussillon:“The drought context has resulted in very significant dieback in the Pyrénées-Orientales department. In some places, particularly in the Aspres, more than 50% of the vegetation has died. This means that we are faced with fires that are virulent, that are explosive. We have sometimes seen widespread blazes in some places.”