HERAULT FIRE. In the Hérault, the fire which is ravaging the vegetation near Montpellier is not yet completely under control this Wednesday, July 27, 2022. The firefighters fear the return of the wind.
[Mise à jour le 27 juillet à 10h01] 650 firefighters are still mobilized this Wednesday to fight the fire that broke out in Hérault, near Montpellier. According to the latest information from the prefecture released in the middle of the morning, the fire which is raging near Aumelas is contained, that is to say that currently it is no longer progressing, but its advance could resume in the hours to come. It is therefore a situation of improvement but still of caution reported by the authorities, in particular due to the gusts of wind expected during the afternoon (around 50km/h) which could lead to a resumption of fire, especially as hot spots persist.
“The fire is not yet fixed because we still have many edges to deal with. We will switch the fire to ‘fixed’ when these edges are calmer”, indicated Jérôme Bonnafoux, spokesman for the firefighters of the Herault. “The objective, before the wind picks up, is to really stall it (the fire, editor’s note), so that afterwards we can get into action and that we are not bothered when the wind picks up”, he added. In addition to the ground resources, the firefighters are supported by three water bomber planes.
Since the start of the two fires, Tuesday at the start of the day, the flames have traveled 8km through the municipalities of Saint-Bauzille-de-la-Sylve, Gignac and Aumelas to finally come together and form a single blaze at the west of Montpellier, near a portion of the A750 motorway. 800 hectares of vegetation were destroyed.
In the Hérault, a fire resulting from two fire starts
The fire which is currently affecting part of the Hérault is the consequence of two simultaneous fire starts, Tuesday July 26, 2022. The Hérault firefighters intervened during the morning on two separate fire starts from 1.5 km located in the municipalities of Saint-Bauzille-de-la-Sylve, Gignac and Aumelas, indicated the prefecture of Hérault, before the two fires met. They would both have started between 9:30 and 9:35.
Map of the fire in Hérault
The two fires which initially broke out independently are located about thirty kilometers west of Montpellier, south of a portion of the A750 motorway. They are currently rampant on the Aumelas plateau. The authorities fear a spread of fire to the east, towards the town of Saint-Paul-et-Valmalle.
As in Gironde or in Brittany, the fire in the Hérault, fortunately, did not cause any human damage. No injuries are to be deplored, only vegetation is burning. More than 1000 hectares has already gone up in smoke. In addition, no damage to the buildings was observed, as indicated by the commander of the relief operations, Colonel Sylvain Besson. 280 inhabitants of Aumelas had been evacuated as a preventive measure on Tuesday during the day. They were able to return to their home during the night.
What is the origin of the fire in the Hérault?
At this stage, no element on the origin of the fire which rages in the Hérault is known. However, a judicial inquiry has been opened by the Montpellier prosecutor’s office for “arson”. The mayors of the affected municipalities agree. Grégory Bro, mayor of Saint-Bauzille-de-la-Sylve, entrusts Free lunch that “the investigation will certainly say so, but I think that the departures of fires turn towards a criminal track”, which also indicates the first city councilor of Gignac, Jean-François Soto: “it is sadness and the revolt because clearly, it is criminal.”