the fire is fixed, all evacuated residents can go home

A saving rain. The gigantic fire that burns the pine forest of southern Gironde and northern Landes is now fixedannounced the sub-prefect of Arcachon this Sunday at 3:30 p.m., and the situation is “extremely favorable” from now on. The rain that fell during the night facilitated the work of the firefighters. The 8,000 inhabitants still evacuated will be able to return home. The balance sheet remains 7,400 hectares burned.

The essential

• The fire is set this Sunday afternoon
• All evacuated residents will be able to return home
• It rained between 10 and 30 millimeters of water over the fire area overnight
• A public information cell was opened by the prefecture from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.: 0.800.713.633
• The Gironde is on red alert for risk of forest fires, while like the Landes
• France Blue Gironde is no longer picked up on radio sets in the fire sector: Enedis cut the power to facilitate the work of the firefighters. Follow us on francebleu.fr and the mobile app HERE.

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Heavy rain tonight

“The night was favorable to us, with rain and very little wind”, rejoices Ronan Léaustic, sub-prefect of Arcachon, this Sunday afternoon. Dry thunderstorms – synonymous with lightning – did not occur and “a light rain fell for a good part of the night”, already explained in the morning the prefecture of Gironde in a press release. Between 10 and 30 millimeters of water fell on the fire area overnight. Two outbreaks of fire still took place in the north of the department because of lightning, but they were quickly brought under control.

As a result, the fire is now fixed and the 8,000 inhabitants who had not yet been able to return to their homes will be able to do so this Sunday.

“The situation is favourable, with low temperatures and very high humidity, had specified the firefighters at the end of the morning. But “There are still a lot of hot spots and buried foci.”

The weather conditions will remain favorable until the middle of next week, welcome the firefighters, who will make this period available to drown the edges and treat the hot spots. “A fixed fire does not mean extinguished”, recalls Marc Vermeulin of SDIS Gironde.

“We are very satisfied” indicates Ronan Léaustic, sub-prefect of Arcachon, who thanks “all those who fought, pine by pine, like a real war, the word is not overused”. Caution remains in order, however, warn firefighters and prefecture.