This Monday morning, the RN 116 did not fully reopen after the fire which broke out on Sunday around 3 p.m. between Nefiach and Millas in the Pyrénées-Orientales.
Fanned by a powerful tramontana, the flames covered nearly 140 hectares and destroyed 75 hectares of scrubland and orchards.
🔥 Pyrénées-Orientales: A major wildfire broke out in the afternoon in Néfiach near Perpignan.
He is still progressing at the moment
(📹 Chris Du Sixsix) https://t.co/2FQNYhiqIV pic.twitter.com/EtvUA5sPNa
- Alexandre (@alex_le_bars) July 18, 2021
To bring the fire under control during the night, around 10:30 p.m., 200 firefighters - with the support of the canadairs - were mobilized.
nefiach millas fire, we cannot thank enough our brave fire fighters and the canadair pilots ....
Posted by Benjamin Borne on Sunday, July 18, 2021
In these two towns, around 300 people were evacuated in front of the advancing flames.
However, with the exception of a hangar, no dwelling was affected.
During the night, residents were able to start returning to their homes.
Eight firefighters mobilized on the fire were injured, according to France Bleu Roussillon.
They were transported to Perpignan hospital.
"A totally reckless act"
According to the mayor of Nefiach, the fire was caused by an individual who, despite the prohibitions, "burned objects on a vacant lot
"
.
" I'm mad.
When I see firefighters forced to risk their lives because of that!
It is a totally reckless act, ”protested
Patrice Vila on France Bleu.
The man “of Perpignan origin” spontaneously presented himself to the gendarmes when an investigation was opened.
Just hours after this fire, two other fires broke out overnight from Sunday to Monday.
First in Saint-Jean-Pla-de-Corts, on the border with the town of Vivès, where 4 hectares burned down.
Then at L'Albère with, this time, 10 hectares gone up in smoke.
After Néfiach and Millas, two new fires underway this Monday morning in the Pyrénées-Orientales
↪️ https://t.co/bYB9z8DLfF pic.twitter.com/99I6KFtrhh
- France Bleu Roussillon (@bleuroussillon) July 19, 2021