A fast-moving wildfire that ignited late on 4 July near Saint-Laurent-de-Cerdans had consumed nearly 1 000 hectares by Sunday evening, according to regional daily La DéPêche. Gusty tramontane winds and temperatures above 37 °C hampered nearly 500 firefighters and 6 Canadair aircraft. The RN 115 and several departmental roads linking Perpignan to the Spanish frontier were closed, and SNCF suspended the TER line between Céret and Figueres as a precaution. The cross-border traffic interruption is a blow to manufacturers who rely on just-in-time deliveries through the Perthus corridor. Spanish logistics firm Sesé estimated that diversions via the A64 added two hours to northbound lorry routes. Passenger coaches operating between Barcelona and Toulouse re-routed through Andorra, lengthening journeys by 90 minutes. Prefectural authorities ordered the evacuation of two holiday campsites and warned hikers to avoid the Massif du Vallespir. The blaze underscores concerns that drought-fuelled wildfires could complicate mobility in the Franco-Spanish borderlands throughout the summer. Businesses with supply chains or mobile staff in the region should monitor prefecture alerts (via the FR-Alert mobile system) and prepare alternative road and rail routings. Insurance advisers recommend checking policies for disruption clauses covering wildfire-related delays.
Source: La DéPêche
