VIDEO. Fire in Pyrénées-Orientales: 900 firefighters mobilized, 440 hectares covered and a house destroyed by flames

According to our colleagues from the Independenta fire broke out around 3 p.m., in the Eastern Pyrenees, near the village of Castelnou. At 4:30 p.m., 150 hectares had already burned in the Canigou massif; an hour later, the fire would have covered almost 400 hectares;

The Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin announced at X that “it has just been decided to evacuate part of the village”. “To put out the fire, 300 firefighters are already involved, as well as 9 planes and 3 water bomber helicopters,” he states. A figure revised upwards at 5 p.m. 800 firefighters are putting out the blaze, according to AFP.

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For its part, the prefecture of Pyrénées-Orientales invites the public to avoid the Camélas, Castelnou, Montauriol, Caixas and Thuir sector.

According to meteorologist Guillaume Séchet, the tramontana would blow at almost 70 km/h in the area. The fire was moving towards another village, Montauriol, around 5 p.m., Ludovic Julia, chief of staff of the prefect of Pyrénées-Orientales, told AFP;

At the scene, traffic was stopped on a departmental road. Children attending schools in the area who were to return to these two villages were taken to a communal hall in Thuir town, according to the same source.

This fire is taking place while the Pyrénées-Orientales are undergoing a severe drought for the third consecutive year.

Firefighters from Hérault will come to lend a helping hand to their colleagues from Pyrénées-Orientales.

The Independent the 6pm announcement that air resources are becoming more substantial. According to them, there is currently a helicopter from the Ariège gendarmerie, 5 Dash, 2 water bomber helicopters, 7 canadaires and 4 AirTractor.

The situation at 18:15.

“A major fire of 400 hectares is underway in the sector of the communes of Camélas, Castelnou, Montauriol, Caixas and Thuir in the Pyrénées-Orientales, 800 firefighters and 7 Canadians mobilized. Be careful, avoid the Pyrénées-Orientales sectors shortly after 18:00.

According to France Bleu, a house was destroyed by fire “in the area of ​​the fire”. Firefighters were injured, appropriately The Independent.