Fire in Aude: the fire continues to spread, 610 hectares burned and 630 firefighters mobilized

A major fire continues to ravage the Aude, mobilizing more than 630 firefighters and requiring the intervention of aerial resources.

The fire that broke out Saturday on the Mediterranean coast in the Aude department is still spreading this Sunday morning after sweeping through 610 hectares of vegetation and severely damaging two houses, according to the prefecture. More than 630 firefighters are working to control the blaze, which is still not contained, said the sub-prefect of the Aude department, Rémi Recio.

Firefighters hope to achieve this on Sunday with support from two Canadairs and two water-bombing helicopters starting at 9:30 a.m., but wind gusts of up to 80 km/h are expected late morning, he added. On Saturday, two houses were badly damaged by the flames in Sigean, one of which was almost destroyed, according to the same source.

But all the residents and holidaymakers (around a thousand) who had been preemptively evacuated from Port-la-Nouvelle were able to return to their homes and campsites on Saturday evening. Météo-France had placed the Aude department on orange alert for a "high risk" of fire for Saturday. The fire broke out early in the afternoon in Sigean before sweeping through 610 hectares of vegetation towards Port-la-Nouvelle. According to the sub-prefect, it started near a roadside edge of the A9 motorway, which connects the Rhône Valley to Spain.