Since Wednesday 1 July, the department of theAude is currently dealing with several outbreaks of fire. Two major fires are keeping the fire service particularly busy: one on the border between the Hérault and Aude departments, and a second in the town of Narbonne, which was reported this afternoon.
900 hectares burnt in Pouzols-Minervois
The fire at Pouzols-Minervois has already covered about 900 hectares. Its development is heavily influenced by adverse weather conditions, with gusts of wind reaching 70 km/h, making fire-fighting operations considerably more difficult. A sustained resurgence in activity has been observed since 1 pm.
Nearly 750 firefighters, backed by reinforcements from outside the department and civil defence air assets, are deployed on the ground. During the course of the day, 250 water drops were carried out by Canadair, Dash and water-bombing helicopters.
A firefighter was slightly injured whilst returning from an incident. As a precautionary measure, it was decided to evacuate the Soleil d’Oc neighbourhood in Pouzols-Minervois. The residents affected were taken to safety at the town’s community hall. Several roads are closed to traffic, including:
- Departmental Road 610, between Roubia and Pouzols-Minervois
- The RD 5, RD 605 and RD 67 in this area
The fire in Narbonne is under control
Regarding the fire at Narbonne, the fire is now set after having read through 7.4 hectares. The fire brigade remains on high alert, however, and is continuing its efforts to put the fire out completely.
Two homes were affected, three were destroyed and twelve people were brought to safety. Four people who had been affected by the smoke were treated by the emergency services. Significant resources were mobilised, including three forest fire response teams, an urban response team, a search and rescue team and a water-bombing helicopter.
On the A9 motorway, the slip road The Narbonne-Sud road towards Montpellier remains closed.
Priority must be given to protecting the population
In light of these events, the Aude Prefecture has reiterated that The priority remains the protection of people and homes, and ensuring that emergency services can operate under the best possible conditions. The two fires – one in an urban area and the other in a natural environment – are requiring significant human and material resources.
A call for vigilance
The Prefecture would like to remind the public of the importance of following safety instructions and keeping away from the affected areas. The current weather conditions, characterised by strong winds and persistent drought, are increasing the risk of the fires spreading.