After initial successes in combating the massive forest fire in the Pyrénées-Orientales, French emergency services are now turning their attention to two new fire outbreaks in the south of the country. While the situation near Perpignan is slowly easing, the fires in the departments of Drôme and Hérault are developing into a serious challenge.
In the Pyrénées-Orientales, hundreds of firefighters managed to largely contain the spread of the flames. The fire has already destroyed around 4,600 hectares of vegetation and forced almost 10,000 people to evacuate their homes as a precaution. Despite the significant progress, the danger remains. Drought and the strong Tramontane wind could ignite new hotspots at any time. For this reason, numerous personnel remain on site to prevent a renewed flare-up.
Hardly is there any sign of relief there when two more major fires move into focus. In the Drôme department, the flames have already consumed about 450 hectares of dry landscape. The unusually parched vegetation is making firefighting efforts significantly more difficult. Wind direction and the fire front change repeatedly, forcing emergency crews to continually adjust their strategy.
The situation is also worsening in neighboring Hérault. Around 250 hectares have already burned there. High temperatures and persistent winds create ideal conditions for further spread. Authorities are closely monitoring developments and keeping additional firefighting forces on standby.
This year’s wildfire season began unusually early. After an exceptionally intense heatwave, soils, forests and scrublands are severely dried out. Under such conditions, even a small spark is enough for a fire to spread rapidly. According to the French Interior Ministry, the area burned so far already exceeds the figure recorded at the same time last year.
The European Union is now intervening to support the French emergency services. Four additional waterbombers are strengthening aerial firefighting efforts and are intended to help especially where difficult terrain hampers ground operations.
The coming days are unlikely to give firefighters much respite. A high wildfire risk remains in many departments in southern France. Meteorologists also expect another heatwave, which further increases the risk of new fires. France is once again facing a summer in which drought, wind and extreme temperatures form a dangerous mix.
Author: Andreas M. Brucker