IN IMAGES, IN PICTURES. Fire near Perpignan: the impressive photos of the Saint-André fire which forced 3,000 people to be evacuated

The disaster is qualified as being “quite important, quite virulent” by the firefighters.

Since 6 p.m., a major fire has been raging in the town of Saint-André near Perpignan in the Eastern Pyrenees. Significant resources were deployed on site, with 550 firefighters mobilized. Three water bomber helicopters and thirteen planes are also present.

Big concern on the spot

The first assessment reported about fifty hectares burned and quickly increased. At 8:40 p.m. around 530 hectares of the area had already been consumed by fire, according to the prefect of Pyrénées-Orientales Rodrigue Furcy. The SDIS34 announced at the beginning of the evening, to send two reinforcement columns to support the Catalan firefighters.

The fire evacuated more than a thousand holidaymakers from two campsites in Argelès-sur-Mer, Les Chênes Rouges and Bois Fleuri. The gendarmes are currently deployed in the area to evacuate tourists and residents.

On X (formerly Twitter), the SDIS66 called for “avoiding the intervention zone, freeing up access to help and not giving in to curiosity”.

Residents of surrounding towns saw the first smoke around 6 p.m.

Three water bomber helicopters and thirteen planes are present in the area

By 10:00 p.m., the flames had covered 530 hectares

More than 3,000 people were evacuated

More than 550 firefighters are mobilized in the area

Several residents had to leave their homes in the flames