A new forest fire has covered 30 hectares in the Pyrénées-Orientales. The fire broke out Monday afternoon in the town of Argelès-sur-Mer, located about twenty kilometers southeast of Perpignan. The intervention of 160 firefighters on the ground, supported by planes (Beechcraft, Dash and Canadair) of Civil Security based in Garons, in the Gard, made it possible to fix the fire on Monday evening. The origin has not been disclosed.
If no casualties are to be deplored, a farmhouse and a campsite, however, had to be evacuated as a preventive measure. Many campsites are located in this very extensive seaside town.
Extremely flammable plants
The Pyrénées-Orientales have been facing a historic drought for almost a year. The prefect, Rodrigue Furcy, must announce water restriction measures this Monday, while the department is placed in a crisis situation.
Firefighters are preparing to fight major fires this summer, the extremely dry plants being particularly flammable. On April 16, a previous fire had ravaged more than 1,000 hectares in Cerbère and Banyuls-sur-Mer.