the inhabitants of Bessèges in shock after a violent fire

All day Friday, July 8, in Bessèges (Gard), helicopters and water bombers tried to slow the fire. On the ground, more than 650 hectares were calcined. In the evening, the earth is still smoking. All the previous night, the flames attacked the vegetation. The barrier of fire threatened several villages, and 70 people had to be evacuated urgently.

The inhabitants, in the morning, discovered ravaged gardens. “We have a lot of damage, everything caught fire. The whole mountain is burned”, says a woman. Another, although relieved, is still in shock. “There are still ashes. My house could have burned down, I would have lost my whole life”, she realizes. Philippe Legros, he stayed at home, and fought “with the means at hand” against the flames. The fire is still not fixed, in the evening of Friday.