World

More than 900 firefighters fight fires in the south of France

by

A fire in the Gull region in the south of the country broke out on Thursday night (Image: Getty)

More than 900 firefighters have been mobilized to control a large fire in the south of France.

The fires in the south of the country began late on Thursday, destroying 1,500 hectares in the first 24 hours.

Described by rescuers as “Megafire”, Inferno was first reported near the village of Bordezak, forcing people to evacuate Besseges and other nearby settlements.

The local prefectural office said about 100 people will live in villas and restaurants in the area, some 55 miles north of Montpellier and the Mediterranean coast.

“I was looking for a room for people, and all the villas are doing the same thing,” Regine Marchand, a restaurant manager in nearby Ojak, said Thursday night.

“We made them pasta, people left right away without bringing anything, but they keep their spirits up, there’s a good atmosphere.”

With the support of 12 planes and 2 helicopters from the sky, the firefighters fought and contained the flames.

The house was not threatened yesterday, only the garage and the small shack were damaged, but there was a warning that the fire could not be contained until the weekend.

On July 7, 2022, firefighters spray water to extinguish a forest fire near Bessèges, in the south of France.  (Photo by Sylvain THOMAS/AFP) (Photo by SYLVAINTHOMAS/AFP via Getty Images)

Thirteen firefighters were injured in a fire fight (Image: Sylvan Thomas via Getty Images/AFP)

Firefighters stand near a forest fire near Bessèges, southern France, on July 7, 2022. (Photo by Sylvain THOMAS/AFP) (Photo by SYLVAINTHOMAS/AFP via Getty Images)

Firefighters were rescued from the sky by a plane carrying water (Image: Sylvain Thomas/AFP)

“This fire is far away. Eric Agrinie, a senior member of the fire department, said:

“It will be a feat of resilience,” he added later, warning that the fire might not be brought under control until Sunday due to bad weather.

Droughts have occurred in southeastern France this year, increasing the risk of forest fires.

Last month’s unusual heat wave burned around 600 hectares in a fire that started in a military artillery training area near the Mediterranean port city of Marseille.

This image, taken between July 7, 2022 and the night of July 8, 2022, shows a forest fire near Bessage, in southern France.  -Since July 7, 2022, a fire has destroyed 630 hectares of forest.  (Photo by Sylvain THOMAS/AFP) (Photo by SYLVAINTHOMAS/AFP via Getty Images)

There are concerns the fire may not be fully contained until Sunday (Image: Sylvain Thomas/AFP)

Firefighters in the Bouches-du-Rhône area were called for 35 explosions on Thursday, many of them near densely populated areas.

Four houses were destroyed near a town south of Arles, and 250 firefighters were summoned to the Saint-Mitre-le-Rempart blaze.

Several other fires broke out in southern France on Thursday, most of which were extinguished by nightfall.

Thousands of acres of forested land were up for grabs as winds up to 50 mph scorched dead trees, according to the fire department.

Wind is firefighters’ “worst enemy,” Lt. Agrinie said.

Thirteen firefighters were slightly injured while putting out a fire near Besegesi, according to the Gardi area fire department.

Contact the news team by sending an email to.

For more stories like this, Please see the news page ..

Source: Metro

You May Also Like

Recommended for you