Some 130 residents of several hamlets in the foothills of the Chartreuse massif in Isère were preventively evacuated on Sunday after a forest and vegetation fire that has now spread over 75 hectares since its beginnings on Friday and against which around a hundred firefighters are fighting tirelessly , said the department prefecture.
“
Four hamlets were evacuated in total, three in Voreppe and another in the town of La Sure-en-Chartreuse.
130 people out of all the hamlets have been evacuated so far
,” she told AFP, adding that residents were invited to go to two assembly points in Voreppe and in the town. adjoining Pommiers-La-Placette.
Departmental roads 1075 and 520A were also cut off for safety.
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Caused by lightning from a storm, the fire started late Friday afternoon in the towns of Voreppe and La Buisse before moving to that of La Sure-en-Chartreuse on Sunday.
From about twenty hectares at its beginnings, the perimeter of the disaster extended in the evening to 75 hectares, according to the same source.
Four Canadair, two civil security helicopters and two Dash water bomber planes notably arrived in the area to support the hundred firefighters on site, who during the first two nights of the fire enabled the advance protection of two companies and homes "
without these being directly threatened
", added the prefecture.
great vigilance
In order to facilitate the work of the emergency services, the prefect of Isère mainly asks local residents and tourists to "
not contact the firefighters
" if they observe smoke or flames in the impacted area "
so as not to jam the phone line for the same report
", do not go to the scene, do not hike nearby or do not use a drone.
He also calls for the greatest vigilance "
because of the drought and the temperature
" by avoiding "
any barbecue near the forest
", "
the use of mechanical equipment in the forest
" and not throwing "
any cigarette butt
".
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According to scientists, the multiplication of extreme meteorological phenomena (heat wave, drought, fires, etc.) is a direct consequence of global warming, with greenhouse gas emissions increasing in intensity, duration and frequency.