Homes evacuated as wildfires engulf southern French town
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Burning vegetation next to a road near Frontignan town on Aug 18, 2024 as a fire destroyed 300ha of land.
PHOTO: AFP
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MARSEILLE – Dozens of residents of the south-western French town of Frontignan were evacuated on Aug 18 as wildfires burnt through a nearby pine forest, local authorities said.
A total of 600 firefighters, 11 water bombers and two helicopters have been deployed to contain the blaze, local civil security authorities said on X.
The fire, which has already destroyed 300ha of land, ignited near the A9 highway from Montpellier to the Spanish border but is moving inland towards the Gardiole mountains. The homes at their foot “were evacuated and are being protected”, the prefecture said.
Frontignan, a town of 24,000 people south-west of Montpellier, activated its local emergency plan around 6pm local time.
Evacuations were ongoing on Aug 18, the Frontignan mayor’s cabinet director told AFP, with “several dozen homes” still at risk. Remaining residents have been asked to stay put.
Streets in the town were closed off to traffic to allow firefighters and law enforcement authorities to operate more smoothly.
Evacuees are being housed in a sports hall, the municipality said.
Firefighters emptied the swimming pools of private homeowners to tackle the blaze, the cabinet director said.
Responders are struggling to predict the direction of the fire due to strong winds, he added. AFP
