A forest fire in the town of Argelès-sur-Mer, in the Pyrénées-Orientales, covered 30 hectares on Monday, without affecting any homes or campsites, firefighters told AFP.
Some 160 firefighters were deployed and three planes (Dash and Canadair) were mobilized, according to the Departmental Fire Rescue Service (SDIS). "The fire is in a favorable situation," said firefighters who hope to be able to control it in the evening.
The Pyrénées-Orientales have already been the scene of this year's first major fire in France. Leaving the municipality of Cerbère on April 16, the flames covered 1000,<> hectares and crossed the Spanish border.
"Crisis" measures
This department bordering Spain is the most affected by drought in France. It has not experienced a comparable situation since 1959, date of the first statistics of this type by department, according to data from Météo-France.
See alsoForest fires, snowmelt, dry sources: the Alps are suffocating
"Crisis" measures, including new water restrictions, are to be announced Tuesday by the prefect, then enter into force Wednesday, including in "the territories of Tet and Agly", two coastal rivers that cross part of the department.
