Friday July 24, 2009
MARSEILLE, France (Reuters) - French Prime Minister Francois Fillon on Thursday condemned the army for sparking a raging brush fire near the southern city of Marseille with a firing exercise, and forcing hundreds to flee their homes.
About 500 firefighters supported by helicopters and waterbombing aircraft battled the fire for much of Wednesday and Thursday night as it raged over an 8-km (5-mile) front, burning some 1,300 hectares (3,200 acres) of scrubland.
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French Prime Minister Francois Fillon (R) speaks with a fireman next to Marseille's Mayor Jean-Claude (C) as he visited a fire brigade field operation center after a fire raged in Marseille, southern France, July 23, 2009. (REUTERS/Philippe Laurenson) |
The blaze, which was fanned by dry hot winds and high temperatures, was apparently set off by a firing exercise that used tracer ammunition, against regulations.
"This fire was clearly set off by a serious professional error," Fillon told reporters on a visit to the area.
The incident is the second public embarrassment of its kind for the army in just over a year. In June last year, a soldier wounded 17 people when he fired live ammunition instead of blanks during a combat simulation display.
"It's incredible that these exercises could have been conducted in 32 degree temperatures and with these strong winds," the mayor of Marseille, Jean-Claude Gadin, told France Info radio. "It was stupidity that could have become criminal stupidity."
One elderly person and a firefighter were taken to hospital, suffering from smoke inhalation and more than 1,000 houses were under surveillance, officials said.
The fire was under control by Thursday afternoon but was still being watched closely by firefighters.
Copyright © 2008 Reuters
This article was taken from: The Star Online: World Updates 24 July 2009
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