A fire in the Alpilles mountain range in Southern France’s Bouches-du-Rhône region has covered 125 hectares of vegetation, mobilising some 600 firefighters and air assets by Monday evening.
However, no buildings were under threat, according to the region’s emergency services. The flames, fanned by wind gusts of up to 90 km/hr., were moving through low vegetation in the municipality of Aureille, far from any dwellings.
“No material and human issue is threatened” for the moment, Bouches-du-Rhône firefighters insisted.
The local fire service is supported on the ground by colleagues from neighbouring departments and marine firefighters from Marseille. The very steep terrain required the mobilisation of a dozen air assets, including eight Canadair water bombers and three DASH drone helicopters.
Shortly after 8:00 p.m. the fire was still not fixed, according to the rescuers, who said they were preparing for “a long-term operation to stem the spread” of a fire whose origin was still unknown.
On Tuesday, the Alpilles range, like three other ranges nearby, will be closed since they have been coded red, the Bouches-du-Rhône prefecture announced.
In addition to the mega-fires in the southwestern department of Gironde, several major fires have also affected the southeast of France this summer, hit by a historic drought.
These include a fire that consumed 1,600 ha. of vegetation south of Avignon in mid-July and 1,800 ha. that went up in smoke in late June at a French army training camp in Canjuers, Var department.
