Despite their unwavering courage and dedication, which has been put to the test, the Gard fire service is reporting a catastrophic toll for Friday 28 June. The drought and the red heatwave alert have greatly contributed to the spread of the fires.
According to our information and the provisional figures, confirmed by SDIS 30, the fire service had to be called out 52 times to tackle wildfires. More than 500 hectares have been destroyed, 15 houses completely ravaged and a further four horses have died. 430 firefighters from the Gard, Vaucluse, Hérault and Lozère departments, as well as from the Bouches-du-Rhône, have been mobilised. In addition, eleven of them were injured.
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Our team in the Gard, has compiled a summary of the most significant fires. In Garons : 250 hectares and 10 houses burnt down; one housing estate evacuated, comprising 50 detached houses. In Vauvert : 50 hectares, 1 house and 1 farm shed burnt down. In Bouillargues : 25 hectares, 2 houses and 4 dead horses burnt. In Montfrin : 70 hectares and two houses burnt down; a hotel evacuated. In Beaucaire : 45 hectares devastated.
On social media, thousands of internet users are thanking the men and women who are working to ensure everyone’s safety. The ‘Forest Fires’ app It has been a resounding success, with over 200,000 connections in the Gard. On the App Store, it has become the 19th most popular news app in France.