nearly 200 firefighters backed by Canadair, struggled Saturday afternoon against a forest fire near Saint-Marcel-lès-Annonay, in the Ardèche, which has already destroyed tens of hectares and threatened homes, a-t-on learned from the Codis of the department. "Ultimately, this will be 280 firefighters" who also came from the Loire and the Drôme, which will be mobilized to combat the fire which began in the early afternoon, told Agence France-Presse the centre operational departmental fire and rescue (Codis) of the Ardèche.

Pushed by the wind, the fire, the origin of which is yet to be determined, might lead to the neighbouring department of the Loire. The inhabitants, who have sprinkled their houses to protect them, all in memory, according to the regional daily Progress, the fire of August 20, 2000 which had ravaged 1 800 hectares in the area between the Ardeche and the Loire, without casualties.

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At the time, 950 soldiers of the fire had braved the searing and fifty houses, in several hamlets had been evacuated. The Ardèche and the Loire were always placed Saturday in vigilance orange heat wave by Météo-France.