A major fire broke out in the early afternoon on Monday, August 24 in the town of Istres, in the Bouches-du-Rhône, between the ponds of Lavalduc and Citis. About 500 hectares of vegetation have already been covered in the municipalities of Istres, Saint-Miter-les-Remparts, Port-de-Bouc and Martigues. Nearly 1,300 firefighters were mobilized, they carried out some evacuations, “it is a fire which is still not under control, but which is on the way to being so “.
The emergency services intervened with some 300 ground vehicles, supported by 11 civil security air assets, water bombers and helicopters, coordination aircraft and two helicopters from the Bouches-du-Rhône Fire and Rescue Service (Sdis). The Marseille firefighters and 14 reinforcement columns from many departments came to lend a hand to the Bouches-du-Rhône firefighters.
Six firefighters were slightly injured or inconvenienced in operations, like two other people, including a pregnant woman. “Until mid-evening, the Horus observation and surveillance aircraft, equipped with high-definition and infrared cameras, provided tactical support to the 25 intervention troops.“, also specified the firefighters in their press release.
“It is a fire which is still not under control, but which is on the way to be.”
The president of the National Federation of Firefighters of France, Colonel Grégory Allione, said in a video broadcast on the site of La Provence, that “it is a fire which is still not under control, but which is in the process of being, we control the situation“. No mass evacuation took place, but”there are people who have been made safe at times“.
Firefighters announce that homes are threatened by fire. “Numerous urban interfaces force the firefighters to safety: a retirement home, a hydrocarbon depot west of the pond. Homes are threatened by the flames and evacuations within the Les Termes subdivision started shortly before 4 p.m. in Port-de-Bouc. The town has launched its safeguard plan.”
Located nearby, the petrochemical complexes of Lavéra and Fos-sur-Mer were not affected by the disaster, but several houses were damaged.
Several gymnasiums have been opened to accommodate evacuees. They were about twenty in the early evening:
- in Istres: Donadieu gymnasium;
- in Martigues: gymnasium lycée Langevin et des Salins;
- at Port de Bouc: Gagarin room;
- in Saint-Miter: René Jauras sports complex.
“The weather conditions do not facilitate the work of the firefighters. The wind gusts up to 70 km / h, but should weaken overnight before falling tomorrow, Tuesday, around 10 a.m.. “Several highways are closed to traffic, particularly on the D51 and D50 between Saint Miter and Port de Bouc.
Since this weekend, the 24 massifs of Bouches-du-Rhône have been placed in “very high fire risk“because of the heat and the wind, which means in particular that they are closed to the public.
