There are days when you have to have a strong heart so as not to despair. While the fire has just engulfed thousands of hectares in Gironde, Landes and Var, and the drought continues to exhaust the soil and plants, a fourth heatwave is beginning to envelop the territory. Temperatures of up to 40°C and drier winds are expected precisely where the earth is burning, and where we would rather hope for coolness and rain.
To despair ? This is not really what emerges from the testimonies that La Croix collected on site. Behind the human and material resources mobilized by the State are deployed a thousand other forces. That of the foresters who cut down trees to limit the spread of the fire, of the mayors who no longer sleep, of this winegrower who improvises as a traffic policeman, of these farmers who supply the firefighters with water… There is also this baker who offers coffee and croissants, these doors which open to tired rescuers, these medical staff mobilized to rehouse evacuated nursing home residents.
Elsewhere in France, outpourings of solidarity are also increasing: Secours catholique, the Red Cross, the Fondation de France… several large organizations centralize and redistribute the aid offered by individuals. With, very often, the idea, already, of preparing for the future.
Far from the controversies over the number of Canadians or the civil security budget stirred up by national political leaders, these initiatives show that in France there remain the ferments of a fraternal society, where the attention that everyone owes to others is still self-evident. Despite the fractures so often described, we still know how to come together! This is a precious asset that presidential candidates would be wise to maintain.
