Fire in Lozère: 250 hectares covered and evacuations in progress

"Between 250 and 270 firefighters are mobilized", Thursday August 20, in the morning, facing a fire "which is not fixed in its entirety" and which covered 250 hectares in the east of Lozère, Anne Monteiro, chief of staff of the prefect of Lozère, indicated on Thursday on ICI Gard Lozère. The fire broke out on Wednesday August 19, a little before 4 p.m., in the town of La Bastide-Puylaurent, before progressing towards that of Prévéchés. Two hamlets were evacuated and a firefighter was injured.

The fire is “not fixed in its entirety”, indicated Anne Monteiro. “It is fixed on the front, but is still evolving on the right and left flanks,” she said. “There were very difficult weather conditions overnight with very strong winds, up to 50 km/h.” The fire “spread very quickly”, she recalls. The balance sheet remains, for the moment, 250 hectares covered.

The hamlets of Alzons and Chalbos, in the commune of Prévéchés, were evacuated. The hamlet of Alzons has around twenty people. Around ten evacuated residents were welcomed at the Prévéchés village hall, while the others were housed with relatives. “The fire is at the doors of the houses in Alzons. People are leaving their homes by car,” said the mayor of Prévéchés, Olivier Maurin, on Wednesday.

Reinforcements from Ardèche, Hérault and Gard took part in the operations. Three Dash aircraft made 13 drops. Eight Canadairs also intervened at the height of the evening on Wednesday, carrying out 56 drops. A firefighter was injured, burned on his legs and one hand. He was transported by helicopter to the Puy-en-Velay University Hospital, Gard Lozère indicated HERE.