At Barcarès, images of the Christmas market ravaged by fire a few days before its opening

France – The inauguration will probably not take place on the planned date. In the Pyrénées-Orientales, the town of Barcarès experienced a particularly painful awakening this Monday, November 11, after the violent fire which destroyed part of the Christmas market in the seaside resort, which was to open its doors on November 16.

As reported France 3 et France Bluefirefighters were called during the night from Sunday to Monday due to a fire in the heart of the Christmas village. Shortly before seven a.m., the flames were brought under control by firefighters, despite significant damage to the structures of the winter market.

The two local media report flames several meters high which completely destroyed seven chalets, four refrigerated trucks and three maritime containers used as storage places. Another impressive detail, the explosion of several gas cylinders which caused major explosions before daybreak.

On social networks, SDIS 66 shared images of the disaster, while mentioning “ the intervention of 61 firefighters as well as the chain of command, who worked hard to control the flames “. The alert was given around 4 a.m., “ by the teams responsible for protecting the installation site »who were the first to report a fire.

The Lydia, preserved from the flames

The fire spread over an area of ​​3,000 to 4,000 square meters, without causing any casualties. However, ” at this stage, the origin of the disaster remains unknown and is the subject of investigations “, continued the department’s fire department, which is already considering a “ long work of clearing and cleaning » with the aim of “ secure the site and assess all damage ».

The only reason for satisfaction for the firefighters this Monday: the preservation of the Lydia, a famous sand-filled liner located nearby, which emerged unscathed from this fire. The boat, emblem of the city, was one of the main objectives of the firefighters in this intervention, according to SDIS 66.

This Monday, the firefighters also shared aerial images of the Christmas village, where we can see the famous boat on the right, very close to the places where the firefighters intervened last night.

It remains to be seen how the Christmas market will be organized. The event which attracted nearly 1.5 million visitors in 2023 was to celebrate its 25th edition this winter. At this point, France Blue specifies that neither the town hall nor the organizers of the Christmas market have indicated whether the opening planned for next Saturday can take place.

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