700 hectares of forest destroyed, more than 3,000 people evacuated

Thousands of liters of water were poured on the flames, which continue to ravage Aveyron, Tuesday August 9. From the start of the fire on Monday, the Canadairs attacked the fire to try to limit its progression. Until nightfall, nearly 600 firefighters fought tirelessly. In front of them, the fire progressed at breakneck speed.

“The fire was advancing very quickly. Between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m., we evacuated more than 2,000 people who were in the town of Mostuéjouls, a large part of which in campsites, and in the town of Rivière-sur-Tarn”Explain Isabelle Knowles, general secretary of the prefecture of Aveyron. In total, nearly 3,000 evacuations took place in the early morning. No injuries are reported. The fire broke out on Monday near the town of Massegros (Lozère). It quickly spread to the neighboring towns of Mostuéjouls and Rivière-sur-Tarn, in Aveyron. It could have been triggered by an agricultural machine.