DIRECT. Fires in France: 10,600 hectares burned in Gironde, more than 14,000 evacuations

In Landiras, the situation remains “very unfavorable”. The authorities say that the priority is “to protect the population, preserve sensitive points and limit the spread of the fire”.

The prefecture of Gironde, in his position established at midday, explains that the situation remains “unfavorable” in La Teste-de-Buch. “The emergency services are concentrating their efforts on the front of the fire, in particular thanks to the construction of an additional firewall. »

This Sunday, a single large focus, near the town of Chaves in the far north of the country, is considered active and “virtually under control” over 90% of its perimeter according to Portuguese civil protection. For the first time since July 8, temperatures in Portugal should not exceed the 40° mark.

But almost all of the Portuguese territory still presents a “maximum”, “very high” or “high” risk to fires, in particular the regions of the central and northern interior.

According to the latest known report from Portuguese civil protection, the fires of the past week have left two dead and around sixty injured. According to his estimates, these fires ravaged between 12,000 and 15,000 hectares of forest and brush.

Arsonist firefighter, the expression makes professionals jump, and yet! To put out fires, firefighters first learn how to light them, so they can control them. This is how they developed the know-how of tactical fires, implemented in Gironde in recent days. They consist of deliberately setting fire to certain plots very precisely chosen according to the winds and the progression of the flames to be contained, in order, literally, to cut the grass from under their feet and deprive them of fuel.

Only specially trained executives are authorized to light these tactical fires.

Last night, “nearly 150 firefighters from the North and East (Bas-Rhin, Haute-Marne, Saône-et-Loire, etc.) and 43 vehicles were ready to leave”, explained to the Parisian Charles Cosse, representative of the Unsa union for Gironde firefighters. The “columns of reinforcements”, organized on a voluntary basis, are expected by the firefighters in Gironde to take a little rest.

During the great fires in Australia, many people around the world were concerned about the disappearance many koalas, killed or deprived of their habitat. Funds had been sent from around the world to support the clinics that collected and cared for them. The Landes pine forest is rich in deer and roe deer, European badgers, hares, woodcocks that must flee the flames, the heat, find water points and new feeding areas.

If thousands of people had to be evacuated, and that 1200 firefighters are mobilized, there were no injuries. Until Saturday evening, when the Gironde prefecture announced that four firefighters had been slightly injured. Two vehicles were also damaged: one burned, the other overturned.

In Clérac (Charente-Maritime), the fire which started on Saturday is fixed. According to South West, the flames have not progressed since last night, around 3 am. Fifteen hectares burned and a firefighter was slightly injured.

France 3 reports that ten fire starts were recorded in Les Sables-d’Olonne, in Vendée, on Saturday. Two cabins and a mobile home were destroyed. Hundreds of firefighters were mobilised. “Artificial entertainment” would be involved, according to the prefecture.

In Loire-Atlantique, 35 hectares of vegetation burned. 178 firefighters intervened; they protected several houses.

In Mayenne, Sarthe and Maine-et-Loire, several fire starts have been recorded.

From this Sunday and even more so on Monday, temperature records should be broken by several degrees in Brittany. In Lannion (Côtes-d’Armor), 41°C could be reached, ie… 5°C more than the previous record. The situation is completely unusual in a region used to being one of the coolest places in France during the summer. The Parisian takes stock in this article.

A combination of factors is creating a situation that could be conducive to the development of fires in the north-west of France tomorrow and Tuesday. In addition to the heat wave, the humidity is low, the drought pronounced and the wind should blow in gusts at more than 40 km / h.

The prefecture announces that 3,400 hectares have burned in Teste-de-Buch and 7,200 hectares in Landiras (10,600 in all). Referring to the mobilization of “1,200 firefighters, 4 Canadairs, 2 Dash mobilized”, she adds that 10,000 people were evacuated to Teste-de-Buch and 4,100 to Landiras.

Alexandre Jouassard, head of communication at the Directorate General of Civil Security, recalls, on franceinfo, that one of the objectives “is to avoid congestion on the road network” so that there are no victims taken trapped in flames in cars, as was the case in 2017 in Portugal.

In Landiras, the fire “is contained on the front left flank”, according to the prefecture of Gironde. “On the other hand, the situation remains unfavorable on the front right flank, where the fire is progressing between the D110 and the D115 with several homes being protected. »

The prefecture of Gironde let it be known that the departmental D218 remains “cut between the Pilat roundabout and Biscarrosse plage”.

In comments relayed by France bleu, the director of the Gironde departmental fire and rescue service, Marc Vermeulen, describes the fires that are raging in the department as “out of the ordinary”.

Firefighters are also fighting in the Bouches-du-Rhône where 400 of them remain mobilized in the Montagnette massif, south of Avignon, following a now fixed fire, which has covered almost 1,500 hectares. In Loire-Atlantique, 60 firefighters and about fifteen vehicles are mobilized on 3 vegetation fires, totaling 18 hectares of burned areas. In Brittany, near Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine), a fire destroyed between 20 and 25 hectares of vegetation on Friday.

The President of the Senate, Gérard, Larcher, went near the fires to “greet” the firefighters. In particular, he visited the operational command post at La Teste-de-Buch.

The hydroclimatologist Florence Habets recalls that “in the past there were very severe droughts, at the end of the war (Editor’s note: after 1945) for example. But our societies have evolved. There are more people and we consume more water per capita”. Asked about RMC, she adds that with “climate change, droughts will be longer and more intense. It’s warmer and the water goes back to the atmosphere much more quickly”.

The sub-prefect of Gironde insists on the fact that the weather conditions complicate the work of the firefighters. “Monday, we announce 41°C-42°C in the afternoon (…) It is obviously when we fight against a fire the worst conditions that we can have. »

Vincent Ferrier, sub-prefect of Gironde, explains during a press conference that “the fire was rather well contained last night” in Landiras. “We have mastered the evolution (…) All the houses have been kept”

It is one of the municipalities threatened by the flames, but also the fallback point for firefighters. In Landiras, in Gironde, the multipurpose room has been transformed into a place of reception and rest for firefighters. “Over the days, we went from a few dozen meals to 400, even 500, every lunchtime, explains Florence, volunteer and deputy mayor. “The report of the Parisian on the spot is to read in this article.

Météo France places 37 departments on orange vigilance (level 3 out of 4) because of the heat wave. A good part of the New Aquitaine region, including the Gironde, is concerned. Temperatures around 40°C are expected during the day. More details in our article.

Resumptions of fire took place during the night near the Dune du Pilat, in the town of La Teste-de-Buch. Campsite wardens had to be evacuated, said the regional prefecture. On the other front, in Landiras, no other evacuations took place.

The prefecture considers the situation still “critical” in Landiras and Guillos, depending on the prefecture. Due to the “changing winds which are pushing the fire forward on different fronts” evacuations took place in the area on Saturday afternoon.