What are these strong explosions heard this Sunday around 1 p.m. in Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone, near Montpellier ?

Firefighters quickly intervened. Midi Libre – Illustration SAMUEL DUPLAIX

The Hérault firefighters as well as the gendarmes from the Castelnau-le-Lez company were dispatched to the scene.

The Sdis 34 fire soldiers intervened this Sunday, June 2, around 1 p.m., in the town of Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone closely followed by the gendarmes of the company of Castelnau-le-Lez, after being informed that several strong explosions had been heard by local residents.

When we arrived on site, it was a fire involving two precarious installations. In this case, a mazet and a garden shed, disused. With the particularity that this fire had two distinct sources, between a field of wheat and pine forest, adjacent to a housing estate.

Security perimeter

Thanks to the rapid arrival of help, only 100 m² vegetation burned. On the other hand, the mazet and the garden shed were completely devastated by the flames. And this, especially since several stored gas cylinders exploded under the effect of the heat before the firefighters arrived.

Where is the origin of the explosions! A security perimeter was set up during maneuvers carried out by a forest fire fighting group. Note the presence on site of the mayor of the town Véronique Négret.

Privileged criminal thesis

Law enforcement officers were waiting for the fire to be completely contained so that criminal identification technicians could begin investigating.

But in view of the first investigations, everything suggested that it was an arson.