From our special correspondent in the Var,
A horizon of plumes of smoke. The fire that broke out late Monday afternoon had already covered 6,000 hectares on Tuesday noon, in the Maures massif, in the Var. No less than 7,000 people have already been evacuated to be sheltered in nearby gymnasiums or communal rooms. And the firefighters are already expecting “to stay at least two or three days”, as Carlo Zaglia, spokesperson for the Var firefighters, confides on this operation from the command post. The risk is still very high today and massifs are prohibited.
The PC was installed on the Var circuit, at Luc, a few hundred meters from where the fire started, Monday around 5 p.m., on the Gonfaron area. “Among the 6,000 hectares covered, 3,000 of forest have already burned. We protected a lot of things, including houses. We have about twenty people slightly injured, especially by poisoning, and six firefighters also slightly injured ”, explained the point Carlo Zaglia.
“Gusts to 80 km / h of wind, it’s a killing”
No less than 800 firefighters from ten departments, including neighbors but also Isère or Ain, supported by 110 trucks, four canadairs and two helicopters water bombers are as close as possible to the fire front which is spread over at least 22 kilometers.
180 drops have already taken place since last night, but the power of this fire remains exceptional. “It’s very unusual, what we had. We have propagation speeds of 5 km / h. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen this, now we’re running after the fire, and the hills are very steep. There were gusts to 80 km / h of wind, it is a killing. You run, you run and the fire is in front of you, ”relates the spokesperson for the operation.
It was from this highway area that the fire started. He covered 6,000 hectares over 22km, at an average speed of 5km / h, which is very rare. “We’re running after the fire,” a firefighter told me. @20 minutes #fire #var pic.twitter.com/wNkMUBDfav
– Adrien MAX (@ AdrienMAX9) August 17, 2021
Houses have been impacted, a hundred are mentioned, but it is too early to draw a full assessment. “Probably houses were hit, but we mainly protected people, either by protecting the houses or by evacuating them”, continues Carlo Zaglia.
“We’re here for at least two or three days”
These are the 120 gendarmes, also mobilized on this fire, who have evacuated 7,000 people since Monday evening, supported by the municipal police. “We know the area perfectly, so we were able to carry out these evacuations according to the instructions of the firefighters. They took place here, around Gonfaron, but also as far as Cogolin, with the company of Gassin / Saint-Tropez. These are essentially campsites and stud farms, ”explains Céline Lefléfian, captain of the Draguignan company, whose men are also responsible for ensuring the safety of evacuated goods, but also for investigating the origin of the fire.
It is too early to say if further evacuations will take place, but firefighters expect to be around for a long time. “The wind calmed down on Tuesday morning but we arrive in the hot afternoon hours, the fire will resume its power and will continue to develop. We are here for at least two or three days, there is a lot, a lot of work and the difficulty will now be to organize the relief, ”predicts Carlo Zaglia. After descending towards the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, the flames could take a northerly direction, towards Vidauban, where the air resources are concentrated, this Tuesday afternoon.