Faced with the risk of forest fires, more than 200 firefighters spread across the Pyrénées-Orientales, some from Slovakia

The risk of fire is considered “very high” by Météo France in the department for Saturday. Firefighter reinforcements have been mobilized, announces on franceinfo Colonel Eric Belgioïno, director of the departmental fire and rescue service (SDIS) of the Pyrénées-Orientales.

“We are ready for this alert, we have put significant resources in place for this Saturday, a preventive system with a very tight network to attack the emerging fires very quickly”explains on Friday August 23 on franceinfo Colonel Eric Belgioïno, the director of the departmental fire and rescue service (SDIS) of the Pyrénées-Orientales. Météo France judged “very high” the risk of forest fires in the department for Saturday, while a Foehn effect, a hot and dry wind, is expected.

The Météo des Forêts is a communication tool for the general public. The emergency services, which establish their own vigilance map, consider that the danger is particularly significant.on the plain of Argelès-sur-Mer in Perpignan” and on the massifs “Albères, Fenouillèdes and Corbières”.

Eric Belgioïno explains that “more than 200 firefighters are spread across our department in preventive action in the mountains”while“in classic summer mesh, there are 120 firefighters on the ground”He specifies that he had the support of “70 firefighters from the south-east zone and 18 firefighters from Slovakia as part of the reinforcements of the European module”.

In the air, the SDIS 66 will have at its disposal “two departmental water bomber helicopters”, “a heavy water bomber helicopter” and a Dash water bomber aircraft positioned in Carcassonne. These resources “allow all fires that break out in the department and that do not exceed 5 hectares to be extinguished”.

The head of SDIS 66 also calls for being “collectively vigilant”recalling that “nine out of ten fires are of human origin”. He calls for “throw your cigarette butts in the ashtrays”has “have barbecues at home away from vegetation”and to avoid work that could generate sparks. Saturday, August 24, cars, horses, pedestrians, bicycles, will not be able to circulate “on unpaved tracks and paths inside the massifs” from the Roussillon sector, by virtue of a prefectural decree.