No less than four ministers made the trip this Tuesday evening to Gironde to unveil the forest fire prevention plan after a black summer of 2022 in this department where 30,000 hectares of wood had gone up in smoke. With the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin, were Christophe Béchu, Minister of Ecological Transition, Marc Fesneau, Minister of Agriculture and Dominique Faure, Minister Delegate in charge of local authorities and rurality.
From the Cazaux air base in La Teste-de-Buch, where 7,000 hectares of forest burned during the summer of 2022, the Minister of the Interior insisted on “the unprecedented means” which will be gradually deployed, from of this summer. And it is especially on the additional air resources that expectations were high.
Long-awaited air assets
“There are real announcements, with a water bomber helicopter at the beginning of June, and at the beginning of July four Air tractors and a Dash here, in Gironde, positioned on the territory, welcomed Jean-Luc Gleyze (PS), president of the department of Gironde. And, a Civil Security unit is announced in the South-West zone. The city of Libourne is a candidate (with Mont-de-Marsan and Angoulême) and may have legitimacy. »
Gérald Darmanin expressed the difficulties in manufacturing the precious canadairs (a brand of water bomber planes) and a partnership at European level is envisaged to build a factory. The Civil Security base envisaged in the South-West will have to include maintenance. “And it is a specialized maintenance for these canadairs which fly during the day and must be repaired at night”, specified the Minister of the Interior. The launch of this basic project could take place as early as next year. The recruitment of pilots will follow.
“And, 48 hours before the risk mentioned by Météo-France, we will preposition two canadairs in Gironde to respond to the coming summer,” added the minister. “It’s important because it’s not at the last moment,” reacted Jean-Luc Gleyze. The risk will be assessed by a new “forest weather forecast” proposed by Météo-France teams. “We will know the risks forest massif by forest massif and there will be a more detailed degree of information for the rescue forces in order to help the Civil Security to preposition the devices and to program the relief columns”, added Christophe Béchu. , Minister for the Ecological Transition.
New means on the ground and prevention tools
In the South-West, the State is putting on the table an envelope of 36 million euros for 59 new fire-fighting devices because “the fire is extinguished on the ground”, specified the Minister of the Interior. . Among these new devices, large capacity tankers, vehicles for tactical fires or drones. Currently in the Gironde, 23% of devices are unavailable due to maintenance or repair.
To prevent the outbreak of fire, Christophe Béchu also insisted on the obligation of brushing, of which only 30% are actually carried out by the owners of wood. This is all the more important since 90% of forest fires break out on private plots.
The devices which are intended to make “aerial fording” will be deployed from the start of the summer season as well as drones to spot the birth of forest fires. “We know that the planes must arrive quickly, before more than ten hectares are on fire,” commented the Minister of the Interior. Thermal cameras should also make it possible to better locate the start of fires in the very extensive Landes de Gascogne massif.
In 2023, the Héphaïstos protocol, which allows the use of the army for forest fires in the Mediterranean area, will now be operational throughout the national territory, including in the South-West. It will be provided with 150 additional soldiers mobilized in particular for the creation of tracks and firebreaks.
We feel that there is a desire not to relive “a season in hell”, according to the formula of the President of the Republic.