FORUM

I am staying up in the Aveyron this week. Got a message from the Independant on Saturday night saying that the Prefecture had issued a fire warning for the whole of the 66 with severe risk in several places because of the weather conditions. Looked/listened since then but heard no more. Are there any fires?

Pearson

Think it's more the risk that is the worry for the time being.

Here is an article about it

http://www.lindependant.fr/2013/08/31/r ... 786184.php

which explains that the prefecture are warning everyone to be en guard
due to climatic conditions - wind and drought - in August

Presume this is the communiqué préfectoral that you recieved :

Pour la journée du Dimanche 1er septembre, Météo France place la plaine du Roussillon en risque « très sévère » de feu de forêt, tandis que les massifs des Fenouillèdes, Corbières, Aspres et Albères sont placés en « risque sévère » .


For more info, http://www.pyrenees-orientales.gouv.fr/ or http://www.prevention-incendie66.com/ which will tell you of the risk in your particular area, or ring 04 68 38 12 05.

If you do witness a fire, don't hesitate to ring the sapeurs-pompiers on 18 112

And the pompiers will attend if they see smoke!

At 7am today, I was surprised to see that our next door neighbour (who is usually a most conscientious citizen) had just lit a large bonfire in his back garden, albeit about 50 metres from his house, with smoke blowing away from ours. He was holding a hosepipe and using it caused a lot of smoke. Next the pompiers arrived, and soon after the fire was put out. I don't like to ask if he has been fined, as I'm sure he's pretty sheepish.

Famous last words for me. I set out delivering P-O Life straight after writing the above and what did I see? A fire along the roadside of the voie rapide, about level with Villelongue dels Monts. They must have put it out quite quickly as there were no signs when I came back around 6pm. There were two of those tractor type vehicles that move slowly along the roads cutting hedges etc so I wonder if it was a stray spark?