France: Wildfire East of Perpignan Burns 930 Hectares Amid High Winds

A significant wildfire erupted Saturday evening in a mountainous area about 35 kilometers east of Perpignan, France, scorching approximately 930 hectares of land by Sunday morning. The Prefect of the Pyrénées-Orientales department confirmed the extent of the damage, noting that the fire was advancing between the municipalities of Trévillach and Ille-sur-Têt.

While no general evacuations have been ordered, local authorities have urged residents in the affected zone to ensure they can be contacted and to remain vigilant for official directives. Some isolated farmhouses were preemptively evacuated by local mayors as a precautionary measure, according to Prefect Pierre Regnault de la Mothe.

Firefighting efforts are ongoing, with 580 firefighters mobilized, supported by four water-bombing aircraft and one helicopter. Despite overnight work and the use of "tactical fire" techniques to protect villages and heritage sites in Ille-sur-Têt, the prefect warned that the fire is not yet contained. The situation is compounded by the forecast of continued strong "tramontana" winds, very high temperatures reaching 37-38 degrees Celsius, and particularly low humidity levels.

This incident follows a previous fire on Thursday in the same department, which forced the evacuation of nearly 3,000 people, primarily from campsites, and destroyed over 280 bungalows. The Pyrénées-Orientales is one of seven departments on the French Mediterranean coast currently under red alert for forest fires, with a heatwave also affecting the region.

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The fire is not fixed.