It was a little after 5:00 p.m. on July 14 when Captain Christopher Baroni was urgently called back from his operations center. “A large fire has broken out in the Montaigne massif, reinforcement is needed.The fire-rescuer rushes to the scene, then to the National Day parade. The thermometer outside shows more than 35°C.
The only information that he has. the fire started at three different points on the railway line, when a train passed, the westerly wind fanned the flames, which spread with impressive speed. Another important element. the mass is sparsely populated. 16 kilometers from Avignon, it consists mainly of pine forests and scrubland with a few olive and almond fields. When the firefighter arrives on the scene, he is entrusted with the section of the Abbey of Saint-Michel de Frigoule, located in the heart of the mass. “There were already Canadairs overhead and eight trucks on the ground.»
Meanwhile, Frederick Sharpe, Bursar…
Source: Le Figaro
