in the Pyrénées-Orientales, authorities and firefighters are preparing for the summer of all dangers

The fire passed near a house in Saint-Cyprien (Pyrénées-Orientales) on the evening of Wednesday June 10, and reduced a couple’s shed to ashes. “My mountain bike, everything, the beach equipment. Everything is gone, there is nothing left”, saddens Georges Dejonghe. The fire transformed 10 hectares into a lunar landscape, which firefighters continued to water on Thursday morning.

The authorities are preparing

Beneath the smoldering ground, danger remains. “That can cause a huge outbreak of fire like yesterday”, explains Chief Warrant Officer Geoffroy Bouny, firefighter. Renewed fires are smoldering in historically dry ground, which bodes well for a season full of dangers. “If it doesn’t rain in the summer, it will be catastrophic”, he said. In a drought crisis situation, the Pyrénées-Orientales are vulnerable. In an attempt to protect themselves, communities are accelerating clearing operations. The firefighters train every week.