A fire caused by artillery fire in a major military training camp in the Var burned 200 hectares of vegetation this Saturday and continues to progress in a desert area, AFP learned from firefighters who deployed a important device.
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“
It is an area which is a vegetated desert, there is no threat to anyone, apart from the 2,500 sheep grazing in this area who are being evacuated and taken to shelter.
“, told AFP, Captain Olivier Pécot of the Var firefighters.
The soldiers train far from any dwelling, he recalled.
The largest camp in Western Europe, the Canjuers military complex is "
essential for the operational preparation of French forces
" and extends its 35,000 hectares over the high plateaus of northern Var, according to the Ministry of the Armed Forces.
Four Canadairs water bombers deployed
For the moment, the fire has progressed in an area "
polluted, that is to say where there are shells and unexploded explosives and where for security reasons the firefighters cannot enter
", specified the Captain Pecot.
A hundred civilian and military firefighters as well as four Canadair water bombers are deployed to contain the fire within the limits of the camp, which is far from inhabited areas.
To the north, the Verdon canyon constitutes a natural barrier.
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A heat wave has been affecting southern Europe for several days.
If several French departments are in red vigilance, the Var is not affected by this state of vigilance.
However, several areas of the department are suffering from drought.