Fire at Barcarès: despite the damage, will the Christmas Village be able to open as initially planned this Saturday, November 16?

Will the famous Barcarès Christmas Village be able to open on time? The question is on everyone's lips after the fire that occurred on the night of this Sunday 10 to Monday 11 November 2024. It was 4:30 a.m. when firefighters from the Pyrénées-Orientales departmental fire and rescue service (SDIS 66) were alerted by security agents on site. The flames were spreading a few meters from the Lydia, within the very heart of the Christmas Village which was supposed to open its doors this Saturday, November 16. Immediately dispatched to the scene with four pump trucks, two large capacity tankers and support resources, the 61 mobilized fire fighters managed to contain the fire to an area of ​​approximately 3,000 m².

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But the toll is heavy: seven wooden chalets, three metal boxes and four refrigerated trucks were destroyed by the flames. If for the moment, the exact origin of the disaster remains unknown, according to the first elements of the investigation, the fire was started by the explosion of two gas cylinders in the catering area of ​​the market. Several other cylinders were also impacted but did not burst. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

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“I would be surprised if it opened
this weekend”

This Monday morning, at around 7:30 a.m., the fire was fixed and any risk of spread was eliminated. Despite this, the men of SDIS 66 were still hard at work securing the area. In particular to clear and drown the 3,000 ^m2 impacted in order to avoid any possible resumption of the fire. An operation which was to continue all day.

All around, questions from local residents emerge. “I live a few streets from here. I didn't hear anything last night. It was my neighbor who texted me to tell me that the Christmas Village was on fire. Like everyone else, We're waiting to find out what really happened. Was it an accident, was it an arson? But in my opinion, given the damage, it would surprise me if it opened this week. -end”argued a retired Barcaresian woman who went out to walk her dog.

We are very far from saying that the village will not open on time.

Mid-morning, Bruno Berthet, the secretary general of the Pyrénées-Orientales prefecture spoke: “The City was almost at the end of its large-scale project. It was even ahead of schedule. This fire will inevitably have an organizational impact for the Christmas Village. The work will be done gradually, the intervention is not even “We are going to work with the town hall to find safe solutions so that everything goes well. But we are very far from saying that the Village will not open on time.”

On the City side, for the moment, “the time has come for consultation”delays the general director of Barcarès services, Michel Sitja. The town hall should communicate on the situation in the afternoon of Monday, November 11 depending on the assessment of the extent of the damage.