THE FIRE CHIEF OF MAILLY-MAILLET, FRANCE, was shot and killed last Thursday while trying to mediate a domestic dispute. Eric Demailly, 49, was the commander of the village’s volunteer fire brigade and was also the unofficial town arbitrator who had a reputation as a man of consensus, which seeks to resolve conflicts and to alleviate rather than escalate the dispute.
Eric Demailly
On Thursday, a national holiday for Veteran’s Day, Vincent Louchet was in town with some friends and he decided to visit his former wife Sylviaine who he was divorced from. An argument broke out around 10 pm and a noisy fight ensued, followed by Vincent’s retreat to a garage he keeps for workshop projects. Eric Demailly, who was also a career firefighter in Somme, went to the workshop to try and calm Vincent down and restore peace to the family.
While inside the garage alone with Louchet, Demailly was shot dead while they were alone. It is not known what was said or done to cause the violent act. Recuers and firefighters responded immediately to the scene, many having heard the two gunshots, but they were unable to save their chief.
Louchet immediately fled the scene, but a rapidly-assembled squad of 30 policemen tracked him down and arrested him about an hour later. He is being held until his first court hearing.
A FIRE EARLY SUNDAY MORNING IN DIJON, FRANCE, KILLED 7 people and injured 11 seriously plus minor injuries to another 120 people, mostly from smoke inhalation. The fire occurred in a residential hostel for migrant workers and started around 1:30 am in a trash bin next to the 9-story building.
The trash bins where the fire started were stored under this shed roof
next to the apartment building. (Gazette photo)
The fire climbed rapidly up the combustible exterior and penetrated into some of the apartments, spreading heavy smoke throughout the entire building. Two of the fatalities were people who jumped out of windows to escape the flames and five more succumbed from toxic smoke.
AFP photo
When the firefighters arrived on the scene approx. ten minutes after the alarm was sent, the fire was already well developed. The number of firefighters on the scene grew to 93 as they were tasked with evacuating about 134 residents who were unable to get themselves out through the smoke.
La Bien Publik has posted this video report from the scene:
An investigation has begun to determine if the fire was started accidentally or deliberately.
THE KARLSRUHE ZOO IN SOUTHERN GERMANY has an area sectioned off for a “petting zoo” of domesticated animals. Early Saturday morning a fire started in the petting zoo building that swept through the entire structure killing all 26 animals that were housed inside.
DPA
The alarm was sounded at 4 am when the fire was first noticed and when the fire brigade first arrived they found the main building well-involved. A strong wind was accelerating the blaze and spreading it to other nearby buildings including the elephant house. Zookeepers managed to get the elephants and hippos out of their buildings and successfully rounded up a flock of flamingoes, herding them over to a pond area.
“The fire was already blazing over the heads of the elephants, so it was literally a last-second rescue,” said fire chief Roland Goertz. However, help arrived too late to save goats, sheep, ponies, lama and donkeys in an adjacent petting section.
”Our entire collection of domesticated animals has been lost,” the zoo’s chief Gisela von Hegel said.
Emergency authorities said around 100 firefighters had battled the flames in strong winds, which threatened to spread the blaze from wooden structures of the petting zoo to neighboring buildings.
The concerted efforts of the firefighters contained the blaze to the buildings that were already involved when they arrived.
ITN News posted this video report from the scene that includes some fire footage:
The animals had all perished before the arrival of the fire brigade. The collection included six Wallachian sheep, six African pygmy goats, eight alpacas, four Shetland ponies and two Sardinian dwarf donkeys.
It is not yet known what caused the fire as investigators are just now able to start sifting through the debris of the burned-out buildings. This is the first fire at the zoo in its 37 years. Just recently the Karlsruhe adopted a measure to upgrade the zoo with hopes to make it the best zoo in southern Germany.
The police have opened a criminal investigation into the cause of the fire.
A BUS CARRYING 23 STUDENTS AND 5 ADULTS in Germany crashed into a highway repair vehicle Thursday, ripping the side off the bus and injuring at least 14 passengers, two of them critically.
Landkreis Aurich photo
The secondary school students were traveling to a horse-riding event in Oldenburg from East Friesian Hage. The bus driver is in severe shock and the police have been unable to question him about what caused him to collide with the equipment.
dapd photo
DPA
Three helicopters were utilized along with the many ambulances.
Reuters has prepared this good video report from the accident site:
A FIREFIGHTER WAS SHOT WHILE WORKING at an auto fire in Grenoble, France, Friday night.
Le Dauphine photo
An alarm was called at 10:30 pm for a car on fire in a parking lot at an apartment complex and the firefighters from the Saint-Martin-d’Hères station responded on the call where they found an auto well ablaze. While they were putting the fire out, a 24-yr.-old FF suddenly felt a sharp pain in his arm and notified his superior. When his colleagues took a close look at the area of pain, they found what appeared to be a gunshot wound.
The victim did not see the shooter or where the shot came from. An ambulance crew tended his wound and then transported him to the hospital in Grenoble. Fortunately, the injury is superficial and no permanent damage appears to have been done.
The Grenoble police responded immediately to the scene and began investigating the source of the shooting.
A FIRE THAT BEGAN IN A CLOTHING STORE in the city center of Liege, Belgium, Wednesday afternoon lead to an evacuation of 50 people who populated apartments in the 6-story building.
When the FD arrived on the scene at 4:30 they found heavy smoke and fire showing from the store and a mass evacuation taking place. As a precaution the OIC issued an early warning alert to the area hospitals. Many of the residents had to be rescued by the tower-ladder on the scene.
RTL
As it happened, there were no injuries but several people suffered smoke inhalation and needed to be transported. The FD contained the fire to the building and had it extinguished before 7:30 pm. The entire ground floor was burned out and the 2nd-floor was heavily damaged. The rest of the building received heavy smoke damage.
A TRAGIC HOUSE FIRE IN MORBIHAN, FRANCE, early Tuesday morning killed two parents and three of their four children, leaving one orphaned.
AFP photo
The fire was reported shortly after midnight by a neighbor who was at home reading and heard some noises. Looking outside, he saw a lot of smoke coming from the house and called in the alarm. He then went to other homes around the fire and alerted his neighbors.
photo by Jerome Fouquet
The two parents, ages 40 and 39, and three of their children aged 8 months, 3 years and 10 years died, apparently suffocated from the smoke. Only one child, a boy of 11 years, managed to escape by jumping out the window on the second floor. He received an ankle injury but did not suffer any burns and was hospitalized.
Jerome Fouquet
Upon arrival, the 26 firefighters from Locminé, Saint-Jean-Brévelay, Plumelec, Grand Champ, Baud and Vannes found the building completely ablaze. It was only around 2 am that they managed to get the fire under control after the entire second floor had collapsed.
Ouest-France filed this video report from the fire scene:
The investigation into the fire cause by the local prosecuter found that an electrical outlet was highly overloaded and is the probable source of the fire.
L’Express has the STORY. Ouest-France has more plus a photo gallery HERE.
AN EXTENSIVE EARTHQUAKE RESPONSE DRILL was held in the Florence region of Italy on October 22 and 23. “Giotto 2010″ was organized by the Province of Florence and the Mugello Mountain community Fiorentina, in close collaboration with the Tuscany Region and the Prefecture.
All photos provided by the Vigili del Fuoco
The exercise has involved, in addition to the Fire Department, agents of the State Police, the Carabinieri, the State Forestry Department, University of Florence, Civil Defense, the Provincial Police and the Land of the Province of Florence and the Tuscany Region Earthquake Prevention Coordination.
The exercise began on Friday 22, with a simulated earthquake of magnitude 3.4. Part of the extended drill included the evacuation of 52 schools involving 9700 students, in addition to the regular emergency agencies.
On Saturday 23, after a second quake of magnitude 4.9, the system was tested on collapses of buildings and relatede structural damage. In particular, it simulated the partial collapse of a hospital where they had involved forty people.
The system of exercise, which was designed to highlight the critical nature of this type of intervention, required that the rescue agencies respond from their actual places of employment.
Being semi rural, remote areas were simulated and also measures for landslides. In addition they included veterinary emergencies.
On an experimental level, the Documentation Center of the Fire Brigade carried out a streaming broadcast of the event allowing the remote coordination of command to see the actual events taking place.
LAST OCTOBER WE POSTED AN INTERESTING online interview with Franck Gaviot Blanc, a research scientist in France who specializes in fire behavior and is also a volunteer firefighter. You can re-read that interview in Firegeezer HERE.
Franck Gaviot Blanc
Franck has sent us a request to pass along to the Firegeezer readers hoping that you will be able to assist him in his current project.
You will recall that he was talking about what he calls “under ventilated” fires, or you may perhaps recognize them as exhibiting backdraft conditions. But to make sure you are on “the same page,” he also sent his definition of an “under ventilated” fire. In his words:
Under-ventilated fire is a fire that has burned up more fuel than air up to that fuel. This is the case in most local fires. The problem is the smoke, as a firefighter in this smoke with his equipment can enter to search for the victim, or extinguish the fire. But if the firefighter enters a room where there is a fire under ventilated, and he is not careful to keep this under-ventilation (example, shutting the door against his hoseline once he is inside), then the firefighter is trapped because it will let the air enter into the room. And then the fire will grow. This spread is pretty fast and it’s called a flashover induced by ventilation. The under ventilated fire needs air to get totally developed and then firefighters with fans, or when they enter inside a burning building, will bring this air.
This video exhibits what he is referring to. You will recognize the conditions:
Now for today’s request ….
I’m looking for information concerning the water flow rate used by the first attack line for treating an under ventilated fire requiring the commitment of a crew inside a structure to put out the fire or search / save victims in your country (Sweden, Belgium, Germany, Australia, USA etc.).
Please specify if the system used is High or Low pressure system.
Thank you very much for your help.
Franck.
Just post your answers in the Comments section and Franck will read them there. Thanks.
FOR TWO DAYS, THE FIREFIGHTERS IN ORLEANS, FRANCE, participated in a series of live fire training evolutions in a high-rise building. The structure was scheduled for demolition and the FD was able to get permission and the necessary permits to conduct the drills.
All photos via SDIS 45 staff
photographer Alexandre Lefebvre
Firefighter Ludovic Venon is a career firefighter in Orleans and a primary contributor to the website Formation Incendie le Blog. He also attended this drill and graciously sent us his explanation of the operation. His words follow:
Concerning this exercise, it is the first time in several years that we have held this drill. In our area we have very few actual high-rise fires and many instructors have themselves never been in one. With the establishment of better organized training, especially live burn drills, the possibility of using buildings scheduled for demolition has been proposed along with a protocol/procedures drawn up by fire instructors.
The building used in this drill had been occupied illegally by homeless people for several years and their evacuation was carried out in June and July in preparation for its demolition in late September. We had a very short period of time to get our permits to use it and to establish the plans for the exercise.
For this training we imposed the following constraints on our operation:
Building: it should not be too close to other homes to not create problems or noises
Structure-it must be safe and does not represent a risk of collapse
The opening must be sufficient to control ventilation
No asbestos
Hydrants must must be in working order and have a flow and pressure sufficient to supply the engines or firetrucks.
2 engine companies,called in French: FPT
2 firefighters with supply hoselines, ready to help
2 “Igniters” trainers, fire instructors
2 group leaders
Thanks, Ludovic for your help and insight.
It would be worth your time to view the entire 136-image photo gallery of the exercise HERE.
A JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL IN Le MANS, FRANCE, was completely destroyed Tuesday morning when a fire raged through it.
Le Telegramme
The fire in the College of Huisne Val was discovered shortly after midnight when it was already in an advanced stage. The AFP is reporting that there are indications that a trash fire was set next to the front entrance to the building which led to the major loss.
There were no people inside the school at the time and no known injuries. Also, none of the nearby homes were affected by the fire.
Oueste-France
There have been several days of strikes and disruptions around the country as people are protesting a proposed extension of the retirement age for workers, leading some to speculate if this fire was the result of any related protests. So far there is no evidence of that being the case.
A NATURAL GAS EXPLOSION THAT OCCURRED during a firefighting operation has injured 13 and sent 9 firefighters from Sedan, France, to the hospital this morning. A fire call was dispatched at 2:15 am Tuesday morning for the House of Unions, the headquarters building for several local trade unions.
The blast buckled the front wall of the labor union headquarters.
(La Semaine des Ardennes photos)
The firefighters found a working fire and began operations in the large, masonry structure. The fire was knocked down and just about out when the explosion rocked the building. The firefighters inside were concussed by the pressure blast and 9 of them were transported for treatment for the blast effects. Five of them remain hospitalized today and the other four have been released. None of the injuries were critical.
Early investigation shows that the fire was burning in the area of the gas meter inside the building. France is currently undergoing a series of sporadic strikes by public service union members over a pension-reform plan. It is not known if this fire was any way connected to the labor strife.
A FIRE SATURDAY MORNING IN AUXERRE, FRANCE, claimed the lives of four children who were trapped in their bedroom. The alarm was received at 7:03 am and the fire units arrived in ten minutes where they found a fire on the top floor of a 4-story apartment building.
France 3
The firefighters made it into the burning apartment right away and located the children, ages 1, 6, 7 and 10 years. However, they were already dead on the scene. The two parents were hospitalized from smoke inhalation and two more family members, cousins, were treated and released.
While not yet definite, the investigators believe that the fire started in a light switch.
IN MAINE et LOIRE, FRANCE, 150 FIREFIGHTERS PARTICIPATED in a disaster drill that served a dual purpose. Along with the usual mass-casualty training, the SDIS 49 also wanted to put a new command post through the paces along with an Advanced Medical field facility. The scenario was for a bus / auto collision that left 55 school children injured and in the wreckage. The exercise was run on Wednesday September 29.
All photos courtesy SDIS 49
They also instituted a new coordination program with the police (gendarmerie) and put it to use. Judging from the photos it looks like the scenario began with the police arriving on the scene first, which is usually the case here, too.
The Command Post was utilized by both police and fire.
SDIS 49 has the story and more photos on their website HERE.
Firegeezer noticed that when they planned this exercise, the SDIS 49 placed the site adjacent to an overpass where observers and photographers would have a good viewpoint over the drill.
A FIRE IN A 9-STORY APARTMENT BUILDING IN ANGERS, FRANCE, burned out two units and caused extensive damage to several others at one end of the building on Monday afternoon.
photos via SDIS 49
The fire started around 1:15 pm and when the firefighters arrived the fire in the 4th floor had already extended to the unit above and some ceilings were collapsing.
They also found several people trapped on their balconies by the smoke and 8 people were taken off by tower ladders. Two more were taken out from the inside of the building. More than 80 firefighters attended the fire from six departments. It has not been reported how the fire started.
Maville has the STORY.
SDIS 49 (the fire department) has a photo gallery HERE.
A PASSENGER TRAIN STRUCK A DUMP TRUCK broadside at an unprotected crossing in Gers, France, at 8:45 am Monday morning.
All photos La Depeche
The train was traveling at 90 km/h (55 mph) when the truck started to cross the tracks. There was no crossing gate or other signal other than a sign at the crossing. The driver of the train saw the truck and put on the emergency braking system, but he failed to stop before they collided. There were three people seriously injured and seven minor injuries, according to the latest report issued by the prefecture. The driver of the truck is among the seriously injured.
According to Jean-Paul Lacouture, the director of cabinet of the prefect, who visited the site with the prefect Conus Denis, “The shock was particularly severe. The chassis of the truck ended up under the train, the cab lies of one side of the track, and the dump body is on the other.”
According to firefighters and regional management of the SNCF, about thirty people were on board the train from Toulouse to Auch. Firefighters were documenting three seriously injured that were hospitalized, and seven minor injuries. The driver of the truck was one of the serious injuries.
A DEVASTATING EXPLOSION IN THE MIDDLE of the night in a house in Schaerbeek, Belgium, leveled the entire 4-story building early Sunday morning.
Guidicelli photo
The descriptions from neighbors along with the physical evidence indicate a natural gas explosion. The gas company insists that there were no leaks or faults in the service lines at the time, nor any reports of gas odor in the area for the past year.
RTL filed this video report from the scene:
The authorities are considering that it was caused by either a faulty appliance in the building, or possibly a suicide.
La Libre
La Libre has the STORY. La Libre also has an extensive photo gallery HERE.
A FIRE SWEPT THROUGH A SLUM AREA of Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday morning destroying at least 320 shanties while avoiding any fatalities.
Fohalpress photos
About one-fourth of the Real Parque shantytown was destroyed leaving about 1,300 people without shelter and with no belongings.
Fohalpress photos
The fire department needed about four hours to bring the ranging fire under control. Fires in the Brazilian slums are common and are often started as a result of illicit electrical hookups.
This video report from G1 has good aerial views of the conflagration:
On Sunday morning, a large fire broke out in the workshops of the world-famous Photographer of the Sea, Philip Plisson. Most of the buildings were destroyed in the blaze in Morbihan, France.
Le Telegramme
On the whole French coast, to learn that the work of Philip Plisson, photographer of the sea and the Navy, would be threatened with extinction, is a nightmare. At Crac’h on the road to La Trinite-sur-Mer (Morbihan), the Gallery Plisson, fabrication shops and reproduction are all in flames. Fifty firefighters and twenty vehicles were on site before 9 am and they try to contain the fire which has already completely destroyed workshops.
“A nightmare … “The word comes from Anne Provost, assistant to Philip Plisson, in shock. All the work of the photographer and his son is threatened with extinction.
Outside and inside the burning buildings, firefighters do what they can. Around 10:30 am it is believed that the fire is under control, but then it resumed on another side of the huge gallery and offices. “Look, the temperature is between 1000 and 2000 °, everything can be blown from one moment to another,” says a firefighter. “We must save the essential, the foundation’s photos and films by Philip, at least 450,000 original images (are) on slides.”
“These images are stored in a huge armored cabinet,” said the Christophe assistant. “It weighs several tons and can withstand the flames. “ It was also reputed to have a 90-minute fire rating.
The printshop is more than smoking ruins. Sandrine, one of the caretakers, watched helplessly as part of the immense stock was destroyed. “There’s nothing left … But we saved hard drives, that’s something. As for servers, I think they can withstand 20 minutes, at most, the heat … ”
TV France3
In this disaster, a ray of sunshine: A procession of firefighters carrying files safely from fire, crates full of archival slides. “The collection of the photographer Michel Thersiquel Finistere is saved.” Finistere was a noted art photographer who disappeared three years ago and his family had left his archives in the care of Plisson.
Around 2 pm, the fireproof cabinet was removed from the fire and allowed to begin cooling. A dozen volunteers from the lifeboat station showed up to help pack the the films that were saved.
“People always think that only happens to others,” said Philip Plisson upon arrival at the disaster. “We may have lost everything, thirty years of work went up in smoke … But this building is rebuilt. Not a life lost. Yesterday evening, from the first observation, it appears that 80% of the archive (one million images) could be saved.”
Camera in hand, Philip Plisson surveys the destruction.
Le Telegramme has some fire footage in this video report:
The origin of the fire is unknown at present.
CLICK HERE to view the Plisson Gallery website (click on the flags on the left for English language versions).
WE HAVE MANY READERS FROM CANADA and one of our friends is Pascal Marchand, a career firefighter in Longueuil, Quebec.
Pascal also has a fire blog as well as his own YouTube training channel. Naturally, his website is written in French and will be a little difficult to understand, but many Canadians are familiar enough with the language to catch the gist of the articles. The folks in the U. S. can scroll through to see what’s showing up, though. He posts videos that are fire-related and you know how to make the YouTube player start working. The videos can be enjoyed for what you can glean from the images.
Pascal carries fire news from around the world, much like we do here, and he has correspondents in Belgium, France, and Switzerland contributing to his site. You can check it out HERE.
And as I mentioned above, take advantage of his YouTube channel HERE. When you click on it today, the automatic load takes you to a very interesting ice rescue video showing some evolutions on a river that freezes like a lot of people never see. And while you’re at it, take a look at his Facebook page HERE. Very dynamic and has more FD videos, and is also co-administered by Fireball.
Have fun….. and tell him that Firegeezer sent you!
A 27-YR.-OLD MAN WAS CRUSHED UNDER A CAR of a tram railway in Milan, Italy, just before 10 am Saturday morning.
According to the accident reconstruction team, the tram had just attained regular speed when the operator realized that a man who was trying to run across the tracks had gotten run over by one of the cars. He came to a stop and immediately called 1-1-8. The rescue and fire units arrived promptly, but there was nothing to be done for the victim who was already dead, crushed beneath the car.
The area where he attempted to cross is fenced off and reserved for tram traffic only. None of the passengers were injured, but the operator was in a state of shock and unable to continue the trip.
This video report from YouReporter doesn’t show much FD activity, but you get some views of the Milanese fire apparatus (nice-looking Mercedes truck):
A VIOLENT EXPLOSION AND FIRE IN AN APARTMENT BUILDING in Douai, France, destroyed the building and sent at least 12 people to the hospital.
The blast occurred early Sunday morning in the 3rd-floor of the 5-story building and completely blew out the entire unit while knocking out half of the apartment immediately above it. The nature of the explosion indicates natural gas as the cause, but it hasn’t yet been officially determined.
The building itself contains 10 apartments but the entire structure may have to be torn down because of the heavy structural damage. Of the twelve people injured, two are in very serious condition. One, the tenant of the apartment that blew is in critical condition in a burn unit and bordering between life and death. The other, the tenant who lived immediately above is also in serious condition with injuries and burns.
La Voix du Nord has the STORY. Le Douaisis has MORE.
France9 TVposted this video report from the scene that includes some of the early fire footage:
A FOREST FIRE STARTED FRIDAY IN LANDES, FRANCE, on Friday and was determined early to have been an arson. The fire has destroyed 167 hectares since Friday afternoon and was still out of control early Saturday afternoon. ”This is an arson because there were three remote, simultaneous fires so far identified,” said Capt. Patrick Huchet, commander of the gendarmerie company Parentis.
all photos via Sud Ouest
About 50 firefighters, assisted by two Canadair and three bulldozers were still on site early Saturday afternoon to “surround the fire so it does not set boundaries,” said Stephane Poyau Commander Centre departmental operational fire and rescue (CODIS). According to him, a total of 167 hectares of forest have burned, which represents the largest fire of the summer in the Landes forest. ”The coming hours will be fateful, however, stated Mr. Poyau, recalling that the air temperature is high and the wind, although not significant, is likely to rekindle the fire in some locations.
On-site technicians of criminal investigation and police investigators continued Saturday afternoon to “collect evidence and intelligence,” said Jean-Pierre Lafitte, the prosecutor of Mont-de-Marsan said while on site Saturday morning. ”We have no suspects yet,” he said, adding that an appeal for witnesses has been launched with people who would have noticed, Friday at 2:00 p.m., “suspicious behavior at the road that connects Sanguinet Biscarosse.
BFM-TV posted this video report from the scene that shows a variety of fire apparatus including the command post:
Significant human resources and air support were brought in Friday afternoon to control the fire, which necessitated the evacuation as a precaution for a few hours of thirty houses. At the height of the event more than 150 firefighters, two Canadair, two Dash and two other aircraft from Marignane (Bouches-du-Rhone) were on hand.
Update: It was announced Saturday night that the fire has been contained.
On Tuesday August 31 Firegeezer carried the report HERE on a batch of wildfires that occupied 900 firefighters in the Herault area of southern France.
Paris Match
TWO MINORS WERE ARRESTED AND TAKEN INTO CUSTODY in connection with the investigation of five fires that ravaged Monday and Tuesday, 4,000 hectares of vegetation in Herault, it was learned from sources close investigation.
On Wednesday police arrested a 16 year old, already known for similar offenses, who was referred to the prosecutor in Montpellier, while another suspect age 13 years is now being questioned by the police.
The military believe that others are responsible for four fires in Fontanès, Juvignac, Saint-Jean-de-Cuculles and St. Croix-de-Quintillargues (Hérault) early in the week. The Villeveyrac fire that hit the town of Meze (Herault) is believed to have been caused by agricultural work.
“I CAN’T BELIEVE THAT ALL THIS CAN BE SPONTANEOUS,” related Colonel Christopher Risdorfer, the Director of County Fire and Rescue Herault in France. Monday afternoon around 1 pm the first of several fires started in the brush and scrub land in and around Herault, Meze and Fontanes. With a strong wind blowing one of the fires raced through 3,000 hectares in a brief time and brought five Canadair firefighting planes to the scene to assist.
Literally hundreds of firefighters were brought in to tackle the many fires threatening the communities. The town of Meze has been most affected with a house burned down and the inhabitants evacuated in haste.
Paris Match
“Five Canadair aircraft, two trackers and a Dash resumed aerial rotations. It seems that the main fire was contained around the village of Saint-Bauzille Montmel, located about ten kilometers north of Montpellier, “said Peter Maitrot, chief of staff of the prefect.
AFP
One of the main highways, the A9 was shut down for 16 hours because of the dangers along the freeway from the fires as seen in the later moments of this video:
The remaining fire is now contained and hopes are to continue it as the strong, sudden wind gusts are capable of moving the fire 300 meters along in seconds.
These were the largest fires recorded this summer in the Southeast. In total, nearly 3,000 hectares of vegetation have gone up in smoke since Monday afternoon. Tuesday morning, the fire that destroyed some 2,800 hectares in the single department of Herault was contained on Tuesday morning. A dozen homes have been destroyed, however, including four in the village of Guzargues.
The fire that started Monday afternoon north of Montpellier, near Fontanes, “is fixed and will not progress,” said Colonel Christopher Risdorfer, the commander of firefighters in Herault. Firefighters, however, remain “very, very careful because we are not immune to a takeover. The wind picked up in the zone. It was weak in the early hours but it has strengthened. ”
The 900 firefighters from departments in reinforcing of Languedoc-Roussillon, PACA region and even the Auvergne, fought the flames all night to contain the blaze on three fronts – north, west and south-east – and prevent its spread to the capital of the Hérault, distant ten miles. At dawn, four Canadair Dash resumed their rotation that was interrupted by nightfall.
AFP
Another fire that started around 16:30 between Monday and Meze Villeveyrac, south-west of Montpelier, also destroyed 600 hectares of vegetation in the same department. It jumped over the A9 highway which was temporarily closed. The fire then hit the outskirts of Meze, where homes have been evacuated. According to the first deputy of the city, Yves Pietrasanta, a restaurant and a wine factory burned in the fire, which reached the entrance to an industrial park and failed to reach a new police station that had been evacuated. The fire was contained around 21:30.
Recent Comments