With 18% of its territory occupied by forests and wooded areas, Sarthe has unfortunately not escaped the violent fires that have affected France in recent days. After 48 hours of fighting against the flames and the intervention of a water bomber plane, firefighters finally managed to fix the fire overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, which ravaged 330 hectares of vegetation. “It is the biggest fire that the Sarthe has known” for several decades, specifies to 20 minutes Agathe Cury, Chief of Staff to the Prefect.
the fire, which rose sharply on Tuesday afternoon in the Teloché-Mulsanne-Ruaudin sector south of Le Mans, is still mobilizing 270 firefighters and 77 vehicles this Wednesday morning. Because despite much more favorable weather conditions (more humid and cooler air), a “strategic operation” must still be carried out in the coming hours. “The firefighters carry out the drowning, that is to say the humidification of the soil to avoid any recovery”, explains Agathe Cury.
In total, 200 homes were evacuated since Monday. Residents could soon return home, perhaps even on Wednesday. At the same time, an investigation has been opened but no lead has yet been given as to the origin of the fire.