Eleven people trapped in the flames in full sleep. The terrible fire that took place on Wednesday in a cottage in Wintzenheim (Haut-Rhin) very quickly raised questions. In the age of smoke detectors and safety standards of all kinds, how can such a tragedy still happen, especially in a rental place?
The beginning of the investigation gave first answers, still partial. “The lodging had not undergone the passage of the security commission which is obligatory” and “did not have the characteristics to welcome the public”, revealed Thursday morning the vice-prosecutor of the Republic of Colmar, Nathalie Kielwasser.
Later in the day, the first deputy of the commune went further. The place had not been the subject of “any authorization” for its activity and had not been declared to the town hall, he said. “It had not been the subject of work permits either to be able to accommodate disabled people”, he further specified when ten people with disabilities were killed.
The vice-prosecutor clarified that the house, a former rehabilitated barn, did have smoke detectors but not of the type intended for establishments open to the public (ERP). It is precisely on this qualification that the level of security imposed depends.
“From the 16th bed, you go to ERP. Not before, that’s why many stay at a reception of 15 people, ”summarizes a professional rental company in Alsace. One of his colleagues, who also prefers to remain anonymous, confirms: “When I redid everything, I had inquired and that meant a lot of trouble, rules. So I divided the accommodation into fifteen beds each, with two houses side by side that do not communicate inside. »
“In this case, there aren’t too many rules or controls,” agrees a third owner who also uses this subtlety. “You just have to put in smoke detectors, a bit like the ones you would put in your home… The fire extinguisher isn’t even compulsory, I just put some in case. I’m telling you this because I inquired but otherwise, we don’t know much. It’s complicated” All the renters contacted say so, they are “poorly supervised” in terms of checks and security obligations “It’s up to everyone to find out. The regulations are very clear, very clear if you take a little interest in them,” said one of them.
“When the commission comes, it’s very square”
An owner of a 22-berth gîte, therefore considered a 5th category ERP, is thus very specific on the issue. It must also be said that it has already been visited by this famous “security commission”… “It goes to the opening and then officially returns every five years”, she explains before detailing this long examination. “He reviews everything: whether there is a central fire safety system, a smoke extraction hatch per stairwell, smoke detectors in the corridors and just about everywhere, fire doors, the setting place of a fire extinguisher per floor and in the kitchen, for example, etc. It’s very cumbersome and every year, you have to pay for checks, especially electrical ones, and keep a safety register that can be consulted at any time. »
“When the commission comes, it’s very straightforward. We can stay there for four hours and we really go all the way, ”supports the councilor of Riquewihr (Haut-Rhin) Daniel Klack, who has already participated in several visits of this type. He then intervenes for his town hall, alongside representatives “of the prefecture, the firefighters, sometimes the gendarmes and the police”. And in the event of non-compliance, the owner may be offered a deadline to comply. Or see his establishment not be allowed to open. For those who declare their rentals… Which is not always the case according to the elected official, whose services “monitor social networks” to track down offenders.
“It will serve as a lesson”
What was the situation of the owner of the Wintzenheim gite? On the Internet, his ad was, until it was deactivated on Wednesday, visible on several platforms. With the mention “20 beds” clearly displayed. Roughly the same capacity as its other location, a few meters away, which was not affected by the fire. However, 28 people slept there on Tuesday evening…
“The cottage had the right to accommodate 28 people,” Nathalie Kielwasser told BFMTV, when the question of a gauge that may be too high was raised on Wednesday. The deputy prosecutor of the Republic of Colmar did not want to draw hasty conclusions on the reasons for the tragedy. It is necessary to “legally correlate the reason for the loss […] does this have anything to do with safety rules? I do not have the return of the criminal investigations for the moment, ”added the magistrate. As for the possible criminal liability of the owner of the gîte, who gave the alert and is in a state of shock, this is something that “cannot be said at all” for the moment, he said. -she insists.
The continuation of the investigation should make it possible to know more. In the meantime, seasonal rental companies expect to see controls tightened following this tragedy. “It will serve as a lesson to a lot of us,” said one of them. Already at the forefront, her colleague whose property is listed ERP hopes, “that it will not weigh down all the already very cumbersome procedures. “No one is supposed to ignore the law,” concludes the mayor of Riquewihr, a town already affected by several devastating fires.