A very virulent fire has covered some 2,000 hectares since Wednesday July 22 near the Arcachon basin (Gironde), where nearly 12,000 residents and tourists were evacuated in total in this sector of the Landes de Gascogne forest, already ravaged by flames in 2022. On Wednesday evening, nearly 5,000 people had already had to leave municipalities and a campsite in the area threatened by the fire.
In the early hours of Thursday, the prefecture announced the additional evacuation, still “as a preventive measure”, of six campsites and a naturist residential area located north of Cap Ferret, a very busy area during the summer, i.e. around 7,000 additional people and 12,000 in total.
The flames progressed very quickly among the pines, reaching several tens of meters in height. Several hundred firefighters and 150 engines were engaged against the flames on Wednesday, supported in the air by two Dash, two Canadair and four Air Tractor aircraft.
No victims have been recorded at this stage by the authorities. Several roads are closed. Starting from Saumos at midday, the fire quickly spread to Le Porge before moving towards Lège-Cap-Ferret, north of the Arcachon basin.
As the weather remains “unfavorable”, the prefect of Gironde, Sophie Brocas, “solemnly” called on the population to comply with evacuation instructions on Wednesday evening, so that the firefighters can concentrate their efforts on the forest. “There is no danger in the house but we must do it now,” she said.
Forestry work
“We have a fire in the convective phase, which is going in all directions,” underlined alongside him the director of the Departmental Fire and Rescue Service (Sdis), Marc Vermeulen. To try to stop its progression during the night, firefighters undertook “tactical fire” maneuvers at the edge, aiming to deprive the flames of “fuel”. However, the area covered has increased by around 600 hectares and the fire now extends over 15 kilometers, according to the prefecture.
According to the mayor of Porge, Martial Zaninetti, the fire was started by a brush clearing machine. The gendarmerie mentioned an “accidental” trail which remains to be confirmed. The prefect of Gironde has decided to ban “all forestry work using thermal engines” in the department, as long as it remains placed on red alert for forest fires. And this “all day long since they were authorized until 1 p.m.,” she said.
Toughened sanctions
The Minister of the Interior, Laurent Nuñez, came on Wednesday to meet their bereaved families, while the profession’s unions denounce a lack of resources and warn of the “exhaustion” of firefighters.
According to the government, more than 12,500 fires have broken out since January and 44,000 hectares have already burned, more than in 2022 when fires covered more than 30,000 hectares in the Landes de Gascogne forest, forcing the evacuation of some 50,000 people.
Faced with multiple departures in recent days, the Bordeaux public prosecutor’s office has announced a toughening of criminal proceedings against the use of fire in forest areas, particularly targeting the throwing of cigarette butts.
