It was a gruelling day for the Hérault fire brigade, with no fewer than fifteen fire call-outs across the department.
Firstly, in the early afternoon, a major fire broke out in the commune of Montbazin, to the east of the Thau basin. The plume of smoke was visible for several kilometres around. At the height of the incident, nearly 80 firefighters were mobilised, along with the Dash 8 and the three water-bombing aircraft from the SDIS 34 departmental unit.
The fire, which has now been extinguished, spread across 15 hectares of pine forest.
A second major fire then broke out in the commune of Fabrègues in the Gardiole massif. Several dozen hectares of vegetation went up in smoke. The blaze mobilised nearly 200 firefighters from the Hérault and a unit from SDIS 13. Aerial resources were also deployed.
The fire that broke out near the Montpellier SPA’s premises required the evacuation of all residents and animals – around sixty in total.
In addition, road traffic was severely disrupted. As a safety precaution, the gendarmerie temporarily closed the D612 between Mireval and the prison, and the D185 between Fabrègues and Villeneuve-lès-Montpellier.
A vehicle belonging to SDIS 34 has also been completely burnt out, according to our colleagues at Métropolitain. Its crew are safe and sound.
The third major fire is currently affecting the commune of Mireval, where the fire service is working to protect homes and has carried out evacuations. The fire is on the RD 612 on the outskirts of Mireval.
Other fires affected the following local authorities:
- Mauguio
- Lattes
- Montady
- Saint-André-de-Sangonis
- Pignon and Lavérune