France records first major forest fire of 2023, with 300 people evacuated
France has recorded its first major forest fire of the year, with over 900 hectares having burned in the south of the country since Sunday morning.
France's "first big fire of the year" has broken out along the country's southern border with Spain, considered to be exceptionally early in the season, and in part triggered by ongoing drought and strong winds in the area.
Located in the Pyrénées-Orientales département, the fire broke out on Sunday morning. By Monday morning, over 930 hectares had already burned, close to the town of Cerbère, according to Franceinfo.
As of Monday morning at 2am, firefighters on both the French and Spanish sides had managed to get the flames "under control", the spokesperson for the local fire brigade told AFP, but the countryside is still burning.
"We will work on the edges of the fire. During the day, the wind will resume, so we will check to ensure that the fire has not started up again in places where it could be burning out of sight", the spokesperson said.
A total of 460 firefighters were mobilised and around 300 people were evacuated on Sunday. Most were able to return to their homes later in the evening, Franceinfo reported.
Local authorities also told the French news website that the fire is expected to continue for a few more days before burning out.
Christian Grau, the mayor of Cerbère, told Franceinfo that the flames had not caused any casualties or injuries among the town's population. "A few houses have been damaged, but none have been destroyed," he said. Nevertheless, people are still advised to avoid the area.
#Incendie dans les #PyreneesOrientales : les photos des dégâts à Cerbère. Deux maison ont été endommagées, deux voitures ont brûlé. #feuxdeforet pic.twitter.com/1SpBhC3YKv
— France 3 Occitanie (@F3OccitanieLR) April 17, 2023
The prosecutor for the Pyrénées-Orientales département opened an investigation into the origins of the fire, announcing that it was man-made, though it was not yet clear whether or not a criminal element was involved.
France's interior minister, Gérald Darmanin also visited the site around 8:30am on Monday morning to offer support to first responders and monitor the situation as it progresses.
L’incendie qui touche les Pyrénées-Orientales est un désastre écologique. Nous mettons les moyens au ministère de l’Intérieur pour protéger l’environnement et lutter contre le réchauffement climatique. Grâce au travail acharné des sapeurs-pompiers, appuyés de moyens aériens, le… pic.twitter.com/8S8Zptu3hu
— Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) April 17, 2023
Darmanin tweeted about the need to fight against climate change, explaining during his address that the "forest fire season starting so early causes ecological, tourist and economic disaster".
The minister added that most fires are of human-origin and that more effort must be done to educate French people on "responsible behaviour" to avoid forest fires.
A fire of this size is highly unusual during the spring time.
"This is a fire that we would encounter during the summer", Eric Belgioïno, the chief of the Pyrenees-Orientales fire department told Le Parisien on Sunday afternoon. However, it is burning "due to a context of drought and a particularly intense wind", Belgioïno explained.
The Pyrénées-Orientales département has been particularly impacted by drought this past winter and spring. Four municipalities in the département were told not to drink tap water, after the well servicing the nearby area was almost dry on Friday.
Several communes in the département also have water restrictions put in place - meaning locals are not permitted to water their gardens, wash their cars or fill their pools.
READ MORE: MAP: Where in France is under water restrictions in spring 2023?
The country recorded an exceptionally dry winter, and even though there was some rainfall in spring, climate experts worry that underground water supplies will not be sufficiently recharged ahead of the summer.
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France's "first big fire of the year" has broken out along the country's southern border with Spain, considered to be exceptionally early in the season, and in part triggered by ongoing drought and strong winds in the area.
Located in the Pyrénées-Orientales département, the fire broke out on Sunday morning. By Monday morning, over 930 hectares had already burned, close to the town of Cerbère, according to Franceinfo.
As of Monday morning at 2am, firefighters on both the French and Spanish sides had managed to get the flames "under control", the spokesperson for the local fire brigade told AFP, but the countryside is still burning.
"We will work on the edges of the fire. During the day, the wind will resume, so we will check to ensure that the fire has not started up again in places where it could be burning out of sight", the spokesperson said.
A total of 460 firefighters were mobilised and around 300 people were evacuated on Sunday. Most were able to return to their homes later in the evening, Franceinfo reported.
Local authorities also told the French news website that the fire is expected to continue for a few more days before burning out.
Christian Grau, the mayor of Cerbère, told Franceinfo that the flames had not caused any casualties or injuries among the town's population. "A few houses have been damaged, but none have been destroyed," he said. Nevertheless, people are still advised to avoid the area.
#Incendie dans les #PyreneesOrientales : les photos des dégâts à Cerbère. Deux maison ont été endommagées, deux voitures ont brûlé. #feuxdeforet pic.twitter.com/1SpBhC3YKv
— France 3 Occitanie (@F3OccitanieLR) April 17, 2023
The prosecutor for the Pyrénées-Orientales département opened an investigation into the origins of the fire, announcing that it was man-made, though it was not yet clear whether or not a criminal element was involved.
France's interior minister, Gérald Darmanin also visited the site around 8:30am on Monday morning to offer support to first responders and monitor the situation as it progresses.
L’incendie qui touche les Pyrénées-Orientales est un désastre écologique. Nous mettons les moyens au ministère de l’Intérieur pour protéger l’environnement et lutter contre le réchauffement climatique. Grâce au travail acharné des sapeurs-pompiers, appuyés de moyens aériens, le… pic.twitter.com/8S8Zptu3hu
— Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) April 17, 2023
Darmanin tweeted about the need to fight against climate change, explaining during his address that the "forest fire season starting so early causes ecological, tourist and economic disaster".
The minister added that most fires are of human-origin and that more effort must be done to educate French people on "responsible behaviour" to avoid forest fires.
A fire of this size is highly unusual during the spring time.
"This is a fire that we would encounter during the summer", Eric Belgioïno, the chief of the Pyrenees-Orientales fire department told Le Parisien on Sunday afternoon. However, it is burning "due to a context of drought and a particularly intense wind", Belgioïno explained.
The Pyrénées-Orientales département has been particularly impacted by drought this past winter and spring. Four municipalities in the département were told not to drink tap water, after the well servicing the nearby area was almost dry on Friday.
Several communes in the département also have water restrictions put in place - meaning locals are not permitted to water their gardens, wash their cars or fill their pools.
READ MORE: MAP: Where in France is under water restrictions in spring 2023?
The country recorded an exceptionally dry winter, and even though there was some rainfall in spring, climate experts worry that underground water supplies will not be sufficiently recharged ahead of the summer.
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