Lozère: More than 153 hectares burned by a fire, twenty houses evacuated

A major fire broke out on Sunday, August 9, around 12:45 p.m., in the commune of Massegros-Causses-Gorges, in the Lozère department. By evening, the fire had already burned through more than 153 hectares of vegetation, according to firefighters. The blaze may have been caused by a car catching fire on a local road.

Faced with the advancing flames, two hamlets in the commune of La Tieule, located in the path of the fire, were preventively evacuated around 17 p.m. The measure affected approximately twenty homes. Two houses directly threatened were also saved thanks to the intervention of the emergency services.

Nearly 300 firefighters and six aircraft were mobilized.

In total, 270 firefighters, including 160 reinforcements from other departments, were deployed. Four Canadair water bombers made 60 drops, while two Dash aircraft carried out 14. Two bulldozers were also mobilized to clear access routes in this wooded and difficult-to-navigate area. By evening, the flanks of the fire were contained, but its furthest reaches remained inaccessible.

The firefighting operations are complicated by an exceptional drought and particularly flammable vegetation. The D67 departmental road, between La Tieule and Le Recoux, has been closed to facilitate the emergency response. The prefecture has also asked the public not to call the fire department to report the fire, in order to avoid overloading the emergency lines.