The alarm was raised at around 5.00 pm. Three specialist ‘forest fire’ teams – comprising around sixty firefighters supported by twelve water tankers – immediately rushed to the scene.
Despite the scorching heat, which helped the fire to spread, it was brought under control at 7.30 pm after it had burned across approximately 20 hectares. The crews then moved on to the dousing phase to extinguish the remaining hotspots and prevent the fire from reigniting during the night.
Two firefighters from the Aude region have been hospitalised
The two firefighters injured were treated at the scene by their colleagues before being taken to Carcassonne Hospital. The SDIS 11 states that their lives are not in danger.
A technical investigation will be carried out jointly by the gendarmerie and the ‘fire investigation’ unit to determine the exact cause of the fire. The site will remain under surveillance throughout the night.