More evacuated as forest fire reignites in southern France

TOULOUSE (France) • A forest fire in France's southern Aveyron region has reignited, sparking the evacuation of 1,000 more people and burning a total of 1,260ha, the local authorities said yesterday.

France has been buffeted this summer by a historic drought as well as a series of heatwaves and several forest fires, notably in the south-west.

The Aveyron fire, which has been raging since last Monday, appeared to be under control and dying out on Saturday afternoon when it suddenly reignited in a "virulent" manner, gobbling up 500 more hectares, the prefecture said.

At least 1,000 people were evacuated from the village of Mostuejouls near the city of Millau and six nearby hamlets, it said.

Some 3,000 people had been evacuated because of the fire, but were allowed back when it appeared under control. No casualties have been reported so far from the blaze.

A local man was under investigation for accidentally starting the fire when a metal part of his trailer touched the road, sending off sparks that ignited the dried vegetation.

In eastern France, police said on Saturday that they were banning entry to most forests in the Bas-Rhin region near the German border, in order to limit the risk of fires igniting.

In the south-western Gironde region around Bordeaux, another fire which flared last Tuesday was under control after rain fell overnight, a senior official said.

The situation "considerably improved during the night", said Mr Arnaud Mendousse from the Gironde fire and rescue service. He said there had been between 10mm and 30mm of rain in the region but on "terrain that is extremely dry". "We know that this offers a respite but does not signify an end to the fight. We know that if it does not rain in the next 48 to 72 hours, the risk will increase considerably."

Mr Mendousse said the humidity level has gone up and the temperature was relatively low at around 25 deg C, adding: "The fire is not completely out and the soil remains extremely hot."

European Union members including Germany, Poland, Austria and Romania have pledged reinforcements totalling 361 firefighters to join the roughly 1,100 French ones on the ground, along with several water-bombing planes from the EU fleet.

France has also set up a police team to seek out and arrest the fire-starters devastating the region's forests. The new unit, the Forest Vigilance Platoon (PVF), is made up of 15 reservist gendarmes, a senior police officer and two motorcyclists from the mobile brigade, backed up by helicopter.

Spread across three zones, the PVF patrols the forest on motorbikes, all-terrain bicycles or in cars, where possible, on the hunt for fire-starters. Set up just last week, they started patrolling last Thursday.

The idea is that the PVF will free up firefighters who have been stretched thin battling blazes that have burned up 7,400ha of pine forests at the southern end of Gironde.

"The Forest Vigilance Platoon is a support division whose aim is to prevent, detect and possibly to arrest," said Captain Christophe Roque, who was given the job of putting the team together.

Where it is sent next depends on where the next fires break out, said Constable Jeremy Hernandez.

"We have been called here urgently but we can move if other areas are concerned."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE