The images of the Monts d’Arrée in flames have remained etched in people’s minds. In the grip of major fires, mostly of criminal origin, Brittany had paid a heavy price in 2022 during episodes of mega fires. Usually spared by drought, the region had been the scene of violent fires which had struck the mountains of Finistère but also the mythical forest of Brocéliande.
If the scale of the disasters was very powerful than in Gironde or in the Landes, it had underlined the crying need for additional means for firefighters in the fight against forest fires. Tuesday, May 17, the prefect of the West defense zone Emmanuel Berthier announced that the State would participate in the financing of 194 machines, including 159 tank trucks dedicated to forest fires.
These vehicles will be distributed in the twenty departments of the West zone which includes Brittany, Normandy, Pays-de-la-Loire and the Center-Val-de-Loire region. An effort that will increase the number of reinforcement columns to eight, against only three today. The financial effort will be around 60 million euros for the SDIS “which may be subsidized up to 50%”, assures the prefect of the area. Eight additional technicians will be recruited from the National Forestry Office.
After the ravages of the 2022 fires, a national plan valued at 400 million euros had been set up. The establishment of a “forest weather forecast” broadcast daily by Météo-France will also make it possible to inform the public of the situation.