Paris (EFE).- The largest forest fire declared in France since 1949 remains uncontrolled as of Wednesday, despite the deployment of an unprecedented number of firefighting and aerial devices that have not been able to prevent some 16,000 hectares from burning in the Corbières Massif, north of Perpignan.
Initial indications suggest that the fire started on Tuesday due to negligence on a regional road at around 4:00 pm. The flames continued to advance, fanned by strong winds, through an area of dense forest and low vegetation, which was affected by low humidity and severe drought.
Up to 2,150 firefighters, 600 vehicles, and 18 aerial assets, including planes and helicopters, have been unable to stop the flames from advancing, which, at their worst, moved at 6 kilometers per hour (3 miles per hour), consuming 1,000 hectares in that time.
Prime Minister François Bayrou traveled to the area and described it as an “unprecedented catastrophe,” citing both the size of the affected area, the largest in 76 years, and the fact that it has already caused one fatality: a woman who suffered burns after refusing to leave her home in Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse during the night.
In addition, nine firefighters have been injured, one of them seriously, with a head injury, although his condition is improving, and 13 citizens, one of them seriously.
The head of government then promised to provide all possible state aid. However, he pointed out that they do not currently plan to request assistance from neighbouring European countries, something they do not rule out if other fires were to break out in the country.
Bayrou appeared before the media alongside the Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, who announced that as of Thursday several dozen soldiers and three army helicopters would be joining the firefighting efforts.
The flames, which sometimes exceeded 15 meters (49 feet) in height in a populated forest area, have spread over an area of 90 kilometers (55 miles), fuelled by winds of up to 30 kilometers per hour (18 miles per hour).
As aerial assets will have to stop discharging water at night, the fire is not expected to be under control until Thursday.
Up until now, firefighters have prevented the fire from entering any towns, although 25 houses and 35 vehicles have been affected. Many people were evacuated as a precaution, as there are several campsites in an area with many tourist accommodations of this type.
The flames advanced westward for much of the day, forcing the closure of the A9 highway, which connects to the Spanish border at La Jonquera, for several hours. The highway reopened on Wednesday afternoon when the wind changed direction.
Traffic was limited to low speeds, and drivers were advised to avoid unnecessary travel, a recommendation extended to other minor roads to allow access for firefighters, causing kilometer-long traffic jams.
The A9 is the main route for trucks traveling from Spain to other European countries, and it experiences heavy traffic in the summer due to tourists traveling along the French and Spanish Mediterranean coast.
The government is advising residents of the area to remain in their homes.
Bayrou said that the advance of the flames is linked to climate change and the uprooting of vineyards in the region, which has created vast areas of dense forest that favour the advance of the fire.
On Tuesday, the Aude department, one of the poorest in the country, was the only one on red fire alert.
Over the next few hours, the wind is expected to decrease in intensity and blow from the south, bringing increased humidity due to the proximity of the Mediterranean. However, a rise in temperatures is also anticipated, with highs of up to 34°C (93°F) predicted. EFE
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