VIDEO. 8 hectares of brushwood gone up in smoke near Rocagel, the second home of the Prince of Monaco
The fire required the mobilization of a hundred firefighters. Two homes and an equestrian center had to be evacuated, without causing any casualties. The Rocagel residence was not threatened.
During the night from Friday to Saturday, around midnight, a brush fire took in the Rocagel district, in the town of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin (Alpes-Maritimes). This district is known to house, in the neighboring town of Peille, the secondary residence of Prince Albert II of Monaco.
Fire, preferred by presence of a vent forta necessity the deployment of a Hundreds of firefighters.
Several houses were threatened and evacuated, as well as an equestrian center. The flames began to move towards the nearby A8 motorway and the town of Beausoleil.
video length: 30sec
Brush fire in the Rocagel district, in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin (Alpes-Maritimes)
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©C. Sartor/SDIS 06
This Saturday morning, the fire was announced fixed, after an aerial reconnaissance carried out by the commander of the relief operations. The flames traveled a area of 8 hectares. Four drops were made by a water bomber helicopter.
The effective action of a hundred firefighters from the Alpes Maritimes, supported by the Monegasque firefighters, has made it possible to preserve hundreds of hectares of vegetation and to protect 4 homes and an equestrian centre.
“We evacuated two habitats that were in the axis of the fire“, details the commander Jean Giudicelli, the head of the district of Nice at the SDIS 06. Either eight peoplewhich were supported by the town hall of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin.
The municipal gymnasium was opened with cots. A family with 4 children was welcomed; the other people went to friends’ houses. “We have put everything in place to welcome them with a coffee point and help them with their administrative procedures with insurance.“, details Najoua Hurcet, the director of the CCAS of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin.
The secondary residence of Prince Albert II of Monaco, meanwhile, “[n’a pas été] threatened by disaster“, say the firefighters.
Traffic on the A8 motorway has not been cutbut emergency vehicles are kept parked on the right lane, in the Italy/France direction.
For now, a fifty firefighters is always on hand for “treat edges in terrain that is very difficult to access and avoid any resumption of fire“.”Flooding and edge treatment operations continue as normal“, continues the SDIS 06.
video length: 20sec
A fire ravaged 8 hectares in the Rocagel district (Roquebrune-Cap-Martin)
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©Didier Brignand/FTV
“All the victims were able to return to their homes“, indicates Najoua Hurcet, questioned at the beginning of the afternoon this Saturday. “There is no longer anyone in the gymnasium. Residents were evacuated as a precaution but the fire did not affect their homes.“
East of the Alpes-Maritimes, another fire took place last March, in the town of Gorbio. Nearly 100 firefighters had been mobilized to extinguish this fire which had covered 12 hectares.