fire”virulentSparks from the passage of a freight train had already destroyed 300 hectares south of Avignon by Thursday evening and were still not under control overnight despite the mobilization of 940 firefighters. As of 9:30 p.m., the fire, which consisted of three separate outbreaks, had engulfed 1,000 hectares, with 300 hectares destroyed, according to authorities.
The fire broke out around 4:00 p.m. during a train crossing between Tarascon and Graveson in Bouches-du-Rhone.causing sparks and igniting the dry vegetation on either side of the rails“, the prefecture explained in a press release. Due to the wind and scorching temperatures, the fire spread quickly.”jumped upOn the Montagnette massif, a small limestone massif two-thirds covered by Aleppo pines, south of Avignon. At night, 940 firefighters were mobilized, most of them from neighboring departments, supported by 240 vehicles.
At around 9:30 p.m., the fire was still not extinguished and continued to develop in the heart of the mass. “The effects of slope, terrain and difficult access complicate the operation of firefighters“, they noted. No houses were damaged, but the firefighters who “worked tirelesslyThere are no casualties to defend Frigolet Abbey. Four municipalities – Tarasco, Barbente, Gravesso and Bulbo – have made rooms available for potential evacuees. Residents of some neighborhoods have indeed been urged to leave the area, even if for most residents.”containment is the rule, evacuation is the exceptionThe Municipality of Barbentan reminded on its Facebook page.
TER trains were disrupted, causing damage to facilities, but SNCF was able to divert its TER trains to avoid the Avignon-Tarasco and Avignon-Nîmes routes, he told AFP. A little earlier in the evening, the firefighters presented the figure of 720 hectares covered, noting that their estimate was complicated by the very dense column of smoke caused by the fire. Smoke and ash in an apocalyptic sky thus reached Avignon, where the theater festival is in full swing.
Last week, 650 hectares of forest burned in neighboring Gardes, and since Tuesday rescuers have been battling two very large wildfires in Gironde, which have already destroyed 4,700 hectares.
Source: Le Figaro
