Forest fires break out in south-west France and behind Nice
Tree branches blown onto powerlines sparked blaze in Dordogne. Investigations into arson are being opened as a result of fires in south-east
The blazes are an anomaly for this early in the year. Photo for illustrative purposes only
Toa55 / Shutterstock
Several hectares of woodland burned this weekend in south-west France after heavy storms blew detached branches from trees onto a nearby high-voltage power line sparking a fire.
The branches were set alight and then the strong winds during the peak of the storm on Saturday (March 8) blew them back into forested areas.
The fire spread across two communes in the Dordogne department (Marsalès and Capdrot) and left some homes there– plus in neighbouring Lavalade and Lolme – without electricity for several hours.
Up to 20 firefighting vehicles were used to put out the fires before they spread. Nobody was injured as a result of the incident.
The storms also caused thousands of homes in the Hérault and Bouches-du-Rhône departments to lose power over the weekend, with over 1,000 still disconnected from the grid on Sunday (March 9) evening.
Forest fires in south-east
A series of major forest fires were also recorded near Nice (Alpes-Maritimes) on the same day - and authorities believe the blazes were started deliberately.
Around 300 hectares of land in the Roya Valley were affected, with two properties destroyed.
Two Canadair water planes and a helicopter were used to fight the fires.
Strong winds and dry vegetation – the area had seen little rain in recent weeks – helped rapidly spread the blazes.
Nice public prosecutor Damien Martinelli confirmed that an investigation into the fires has been launched, and that “In the light of the initial information gathered, these investigations are being carried out… into dégradations volontaires par incendie [arson].”
Several storms are set to hit the south-east this week, which should wet the ground and limit the risk of further forest fires.
Read more: Wet week ahead with some warmer days: French weather outlook March 10 - 14
The fires are a timely reminder of the rules on garden undergrowth clearance – mandatory in a number of areas of France including Alpes-Maritimes – that are in place to limit the spread and effect of these blazes.
Read more: French property owners and tenants: what are rules for obligatory undergrowth clearance?
This will be the third year that France runs its ‘forest fire risk’ map.
However, these daily updates are only given from late spring onwards, with the events above being anomalies during the early spring.
