According to a report from our colleagues at Métropolitain, fire engines belonging to SDIS 34 from the two fire stations in Montpellier and Pignan were pelted with stones on Saturday afternoon, whilst responding to a call to extinguish a car fire in the underground car park of a residential block on Rue Guilhem de Poitiers, in the north-western district of Hauts-de-Massane, in Montpellier.
The fire brigade had turned out with water tankers, a large semi-automatic turntable ladder and an ambulance, when, whilst fighting the fire in the basement of the block of flats near Rue Pierre Cardinal, they were pelted with stones by a group of youths, who then fled the scene. The vehicles were damaged.
Ambush
Officers from the Public Security unit at the central police station who were at the scene have not ruled out the possibility that the car was deliberately set alight in the underground car park of this residential block in order to ambush the fire brigade.
SDIS 34 is expected to file a complaint against persons unknown, as is standard practice when unknown individuals attack property and staff.