Large blaze temporarily shuts A9 motorway near Salles-d'Aude
A fire that started on a truck ignited a 15-hectare blaze on the A9 between Béziers and Narbonne, forcing a temporary closure of the highway in both directions.
A truck fire sparked a significant wildfire on the A9 motorway linking Spain to Montpellier, near the commune of Salles-d'Aude. The fire quickly engulfed roughly 15 hectares of vegetation, aided by temperatures near 30 °C and sustained winds, prompting the prefecture of Aude to place the department on red alert for fire risk. Both directions of the A9 were closed, and the adjacent RD31 and RD1118 routes between Salles-d'Aude and Coursan were also blocked to facilitate rescue operations.
An evacuation was carried out for an equestrian centre with 80 horses, and many motorists remained trapped on the highway until the blaze was finally controlled at about 17:00. The response involved 200 firefighters, four Canadair water-bombers, a Dash aircraft and a helicopter, with the prefect Alain Bucquet thanking the emergency services, Vinci Autoroutes and other agencies for their efforts.
Why it matters
The fire disrupted a key international transport corridor, affecting travel and trade between Spain and southern France.
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