Fire in Aude: the fire is spreading, approaching Narbonne and "posing a problem"

Faced with the spread of the fire, the Aude prefecture has taken containment measures for the populations of the neighborhoods of Roches-Grises, Montplaisir, Réveillon, the Domaine de la Jonquières in Narbonne, the hamlet of Prat-de-Cest in Bages and the entire commune of Peyriac-de-Mer. Residents are urged to "remain confined," the prefect insisted this Tuesday morning, recalling the danger of the fire, which is moving quickly.

While some residents were evacuated as a precautionary measure yesterday, the director of the Aube SDIS (Fire and Disaster Management Service) believes that no new evacuations are "planned or scheduled" at this time. He also urges people to respect the lockdown and calls on everyone to avoid the area. Moreover, 350 people have been housed in the rooms opened by mayors since yesterday evening to seek shelter, particularly in Narbonne, where 200 people are being accommodated at the convention center. Most are destitute residents or travelers who were unable to reach their destinations after the closure of the A9 motorway. The highway remains closed on several sections this Tuesday, July 8. Reconnaissance is underway to allow the "safe reopening" of the A9 and "relieve traffic congestion," the prefecture announced.

The Narbonne prefecture has provided an update on the damage caused by the fire. The fire destroyed a workshop and a stable, and damaged six houses, a chapel, a barn, and two heavy goods vehicles. According to authorities, no human deaths were reported—three horses died in the flames—but the fire "very slightly injured" around ten people: five firefighters and five civilians. A child was among the victims, according to Bruno Retailleau, a report unconfirmed by the prefecture. "For 2,000 hectares, the toll is quite modest," said Aude prefect Christian Pouget on Tuesday morning.

The fire is advancing in the Aube department and has already devoured 2,000 hectares in the space of 12 hours. The flames "have advanced forward" while the "left flank" of the fire "poses a problem" with a widening area that "affects the south of Narbonne," explained Colonel Christophe Magny, director of the Aude SDIS, on BFMTV. The advance of the fire towards Narbonne and the fact that the fire is evolving in "a rugged area" with "limited access" are pressing and complicating the firefighters' task.

On X, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau announced that five houses had so far been affected by the fire that continues to rage near Narbonne. A child, whose age was not specified, was slightly injured. "I'm thinking of him," the tenant of Place Bauveau said in his post.

With the fire still not under control and still very intense, the mayor of Narbonne, Bertrand Malquier, has urged residents to stay indoors. "The order is to stay indoors to allow ground resources to circulate and provide the necessary assistance, or to ensure the firefighting resources," he explained to our colleagues at TF1. In Peyriac-sur-Mer, a town bordering Narbonne, a community hall has been opened to accommodate evacuees.

As the flames continue to spread, some residents of Prat-de-Cest have been evacuated. The rest of the population of this commune of Bages has been confined.

To allow firefighters to respond to the blaze, two RTE lines were disconnected late in the afternoon, without causing any power outages. However, according to ENEDIS, 10,000 homes are currently without power due to the increase in consumption at the end of the day in the area affected by the fire. This particularly affects Port-la-Nouvelle, Sigean, Narbonne, and Bages.

With the fire still raging out of control, firefighters from several departments, including Eure, Gironde, Calvados, Charente, Seine-Maritime, and Dordogne, have come to assist on the scene. In terms of aerial resources, the firefighters are now being assisted in their work by a Dragon, three Dash aircraft, six Canadairs, two water-bombing helicopters, and an army helicopter.