Riviera fire rages
NZPA-Reuter Marseilles
A fireman has become the fourth victim of France’s worst forest fire for several years, which has raged for two days in the south-east of the country.
The fireman, aged 20, died of suffocation when his rescue vehicle was surrounded by flames at Chateauneu-le-Rouge, in the Bouches-du-Rhone region. Three colleagues
managed to escape with slight bums. This brought the death toll over the last two days to four after the bodies of two people burned to death were found yesterday and a man died of a heart attack while fleeing his home on Sunday. The police said the fire was under control but the area remained on the alert as weather forecasters said the strong summer mistral winds,
which have fanned the flames, could blow again today.
The flames have ravaged 8000 ha of forest, destroyed 100 homes and caused thousands of people in this popular holiday area to be moved out.
The security Minister, Robert Pandraud, flew to the devasted area, inland from the Cote d’Azur, for emergency talks with regional fire chiefs. Officials
called for reinforcements for 1500 firefighters already rushed in.
As the 500 local firefighters who bore the brunt of the first outbreak began sagging with exhaustion, 10 special planes bombarded the flames with water while residents, many now homeless, watched in despair. Many suspected that arsonists had started the blaze. '
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Press, 26 August 1986, Page 12
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230Riviera fire rages Press, 26 August 1986, Page 12
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