Fire in Beaumes-de-Venise: fire resumed last night, 30 additional hectares burned – France Bleu

The big fire that broke out in the night from Monday to Tuesday in Beaumes-de-Venisea resumed very early this Wednesday morning. Around 3 a.m., a violent resumption of fire burned 30 hectares in the Barroux sector, in addition to 210 hectares already burned the day before. “What we feared yesterday throughout the day happened during the night because of the strong mistral which lasted”, deplores the director of the Vaucluse firefighters, Jean-Claude Sammut.

The fire not yet fixed, but “surrounded” according to the firefighters

The firefighters’ device, which had been lightened in the evening, was reinforced during the night: 160 firefighters were sent to reinforce, bringing the workforce to 300 firefighters on site. They are supported by two Canadairs and a water bomber helicopter since daybreak. “The fire is far from being fixed but it is contained, surrounded, the objective is to protect the village of Barroux.”

Some houses had to be protected at night. About thirty people had to be welcomed at the Barroux village hall. The resumption of the flames was very violent, “like an explosion” according to a firefighter on the spot, but the situation stabilizes and the fire seems to calm down on its own, despite a still strong mistral.

A record number of 155 drops were carried out on the fire sector on Tuesday, indicates the prefecture of Vaucluse, with 94 drops from the SDIS84 helicopter, 32 from the civil security helicopter, 27 from Canadairs and 2 from Milan.

The firefighters are also calling for do not ask them about this fire. They receive dozens of calls to report smells of smoke in the Beaumes-de-Venise sector and indicate that there is no point in cluttering the lines as they are already fully mobilized on site.