The fire that had ravaged 650 ha of forest in the Cevennes region of Gard since Thursday was "favorably" evolving on Friday in a "high risk context" in which firefighters were overwhelmed by other fires in the area.
Meteo-France placed Gard "on maximum alert forest fires" on Friday due to heat, wind gusts and vegetation that had been damaged by early and severe drought. According to rescue services, 745 firefighters from France were still mobilized in the north of the district, near the Ardeche. They have been mobilizing them since Thursday night.
"We are working on the fire's edges but it will take a long time to finish, because there are so many edges. When there is no risk of resumption, we can talk about a controlled flame. However, with the extremely unfavorable weather conditions that we are experiencing, it might not be before Sunday," said Lieutenant-Colonel Eric Agrinier. He is the Gard's communications officer.
According to the weather, we have winds at 40/45 km/h. It seems calmer down here, but there are higher places where it blows harder. He said, "We'll see tonight." He stated that firefighters would remain on the ground for several days more to prevent major recovery. The ground was bare of vegetation, but the tops of trees were still intact in other places. Anais Donval, a Besseges resident, said, "From a distance, you can see the Cevennes brown... it hurts," after she had been evacuated for that night.
She said, "Afterwards, there is more danger than harm, there were very few damage and no injuries that's the major thing," adding that she was reassured that her home was safe.
Only a garage (a small rural building) and a mazet were destroyed by the fires that ravaged hundreds upon hundreds of hectares within a matter of hours. Olivier Martin, its mayor, said that the village of Gagnieres had been "saved", thanks to firefighters who set off a backfire.
This fire is still small in comparison to the 5,000 hectares that were burned in September 1985, just a few kilometers away in the region Portes. It was a tragedy that will be etched in the hearts of the older generations.
On Friday, seven other fires were started in the same department. A hundred firefighters were also supported by four Canadair and a water bomber helicopter in Sainte-Anastasie. At least one hectare of the area had been covered. The tourist spots of La Baume, and the Saint-Nicolas bridge upstream from Pont du Gard were evacuated.
According to the Directorate General of Civil Security, there is a "very high risk of fires" in the whole of the south-east of France. The area is experiencing an increase in fire starts, such as Bouches-du Rhone, where firefighters have discovered 51 fires in natural areas throughout the day.
