A vegetation fire burning along the ridges of the Aspe Valley in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department has expanded to 120 hectares, according to the local prefecture.
Fire Spreads Along Mountain Ridges Near Etsaut
According to the prefecture of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, the fire is centered in the Pas d’Ourtasse sector between the communes of Etsaut and Cette-Eygun. The flames are concentrated on a ridge zone surrounding the Pic d’Aygarry at an altitude of 2,099 meters, an area characterized by moorland and fern vegetation that is frequently used by hikers and shepherds during summer pasturage.
Nathalie Vitrat, the sub-prefect of Oloron-Sainte-Marie, described the situation in an interview with the radio station Ici Béarn Bigorre as a “complicated, very singular, and uncontained fire” located in a steep, high-mountain sector with difficult ground access.
Aerial Operations and Restrictions on Airspace
Firefighting efforts on Sunday relied heavily on specialized aviation assets. An Australian heavy water-bombing CH-47D Chinook helicopter conducted multiple water drops over the ridges, where an Agence France-Presse (AFP) photographer observed thick plumes of smoke. Authorities also utilized a private helicopter service to transport water to ground crews operating in the steep terrain.
To secure the airspace for these continuous rotations, the prefecture of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques issued an order on Sunday afternoon prohibiting all civilian aircraft and drones—including those used for photography—from flying over the zone. The order stated that firefighting teams are actively deployed on the ground alongside ongoing equipment hoisting, aerial reconnaissance, and water-drop operations.
Ground Strategy and Weather Conditions
Initially, firefighters considered igniting counter-fires on Saturday evening to slow the advance of the flames. However, the prefecture reported that ground crews ultimately opted to spend the night cutting earth paths through the vegetation to establish control lines and stop the front from spreading. Officials noted that the fire did not advance overnight.
Weather conditions continue to hamper containment. Météo-France placed the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department under a yellow heatwave alert on Sunday, with temperatures exceeding 30°C in the Aspe Valley. Local authorities plan to maintain the deployment of the Chinook helicopter and a specialized heli-transported intervention detachment to target inaccessible sectors and stabilize the perimeter alongside ground forces.
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