Wildfire in southern France forces 3,000 evacuations, destroys 256 bungalows and threatens industrial port
A wildfire that broke out near Saint-Marie-la-Mer on Thursday, 2 July, spread rapidly through campsites and an industrial port in Canet-en-Roussillon, injuring at least nine people and destroying hundreds of mobile homes.
A fast-moving wildfire swept through a coastal zone east of Perpignan on Thursday afternoon, jumping the river Têt and engulfing three campsites before reaching the Canet-en-Roussillon marina. Authorities evacuated approximately 3,000 tourists and residents, many of them from the Brasilia, Marina and Santa Maria campsites. At least nine people were treated for minor injuries, among them a child, a volunteer firefighter hurt in a gas-cylinder explosion and two municipal police officers suffering smoke inhalation.
Spread from campsites to the industrial port
The fire started shortly before 2 p.m. near the Santa Maria camping ground in Sainte-Marie-la-Mer. Fanned by a strong tramontana wind and high temperatures, it crossed the Têt river and tore through two more campsites on the opposite bank, Le Brasilia and Le Marina. From there the flames reached the nautical industrial zone, where the administrative building of boat-builder Catana was damaged and a yacht caught fire. The prefecture of Pyrénées-Orientales estimated the burnt area at 30 hectares by 6 p.m.
In the hours ahead the first priority is to preserve the industrial nautical pole of Canet-en-Roussillon, where industrial buildings contain flammable products that can be polluting.
- Fire reported near camping Santa Maria in Sainte-Marie-la-Mer
- Flames jump the river Têt and spread to Le Brasilia and Marina campsites
- Catana company staff evacuated
- Evacuations of campers, beachgoers and residents begin
- Fire reaches the nautical zone; a yacht is set alight
- Beach evacuation completed
- Perpignan airport suspends commercial flights; three flights cancelled/diverted
- Prefecture reports 30 hectares burned, 200 firefighters still engaged
Evacuations and material damage
In all, 256 bungalows were destroyed: 150 at Le Brasilia, 80 at Marina and 26 at Santa Maria, according to prefect Pierre Regnault de La Mothe. More than 200 mobile homes and several vehicles also burned. Beach evacuations were completed by 4:45 p.m., and 3,000 people were sheltered in municipal halls. Commercial traffic at Perpignan airport was temporarily halted, with three flights cancelled or diverted.
Other fires and political reaction
A larger wildfire that started Wednesday in the Aude-Hérault border area had already consumed about 900 hectares by Thursday afternoon. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, chairing a crisis meeting in Marseille, said that since the start of the season 7,000 wildfires had destroyed 8,700 hectares nationwide.
We must acknowledge that they are occurring roughly 15 days to three weeks earlier than the usual periods.
The Greens filed a no-confidence motion against Lecornu’s government on Thursday, denouncing what they called inadequate measures to confront rising temperatures.
Eyewitness accounts
A Belgian family staying at Le Brasilia described escaping via the beach with only phones, identity cards and cash. “We saw large plumes of smoke above the beach, where our caravan is,” said Xavier Demets. “We only took our phones, identity cards and some money. Then we left immediately.” A Scottish tourist was unable to return to the same campsite after shopping; her caravan and all her clothes remained inside.
About 200 firefighters and four water-bombing helicopters were deployed to the Canet fire, while Laurent Nunez (described as interior minister by Deutsche Welle and infrastructure minister by NOS) reported that 1,200 firefighters had been mobilised across the region since Wednesday.
