The megafire ravaging the surroundings of Bordeaux in the south-west of France has “stabilized” but recorded 14 outbreaks of fire on Tuesday which forced the preventive evacuation of thousands of tourists, before the expected arrival of a new “heat peak” on Wednesday.
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The fire is “stabilized” and is “not progressing”, declared the prefect of the Gironde department, Sophie Brocas, at the end of the day. However, the firefighters faced “14 outbreaks of fire, which is very significant, in areas which had already been covered by fire”.
Some 4,000 people were evacuated as a precaution from tourist accommodation in Lacanau, “in the greatest calm, since we had a little time”, said Mayor Laurent Peyrondet.
AFP
In the afternoon, “several outbreaks of fire” were observed by the authorities, “in the burned area, particularly in Lège/Grand Crohot and Marcheprime”, i.e. at the north-west and south-east extremities of the megafire.
These recurrences are “a testimony to the precariousness of the situation”, warned fire commander Matthieu Jomain.
To prevent further recurrences, the DFCI (for “Defense of forests against fires”) has created 121 km of firebreaks, according to its president Bruno Lafon.
The Gironde fire has burned 42,000 hectares to date, the largest area since a deadly forest fire ravaged around 50,000 hectares in the region in 1949.
Heatwave vigilance
Switched to heatwave yellow vigilance at noon, the two departments of Gironde and Landes are preparing to experience, according to the Météo-France institute, a “strong heat peak”.
After an initial rise in temperatures on Tuesday to 33 to 35°C inland, the thermometer should reach maximums “often between 38 and 41°C” on Wednesday, with slightly less strong but drier winds, and before a clear drop expected on Thursday.
Since the start of the megafire, 222,000 people have been preventively evacuated in 24 municipalities.
AFP
But the first refugees from the fire are starting to return. The residents of three towns near Bordeaux evacuated over the weekend will be able to return home “if they wish”, on the condition of remaining ready to leave in the event of a new threat, the prefect of Gironde announced on Tuesday.
As the fire is not “fixed”, that is to say contained, the return of the majority to their accommodation is not possible at this stage.
The fire fighters continue their mission, helped by volunteers, like these half-dozen trucks loaded with water who joined four fire trucks to refuel for the next fire from a huge tanker truck south of Lège Cap-Ferret.
A small group runs to throw apricots as refreshments to the firefighters perched on the enormous vehicle.
“I don’t know what time it is,” Pierre Marie admitted to AFP at 7 p.m., after putting out four fires that had been rekindled since his arrival, twelve hours earlier, for a “full-on” day.
“We pour 8,000 liters on an area and an hour later, everything starts again,” he whispers. We fear every day that passes. »
“Everything is done in an emergency, the organization is not good,” he laments, noting that the group had to buy their own portable pumps and water tanks.
AFP
Forests catch fire all the more easily as European vegetation and soils have been very dry for months, a drought accentuated by climate change and recent exceptional heatwaves.
In the neighboring department of Landes, the fire now “fixed” after having burned 3,600 hectares and 198 buildings, and a “vast majority” of the 30,000 evacuees in the department were authorized to return to their accommodation, according to the prefect.
After “three days worthy of war scenes”, “everyone is happy to reopen”, assures a baker behind her counter at the entrance to the town of Biscarosse.
93 firefighters injured
Like Monday and Tuesday, no trains will run south of Bordeaux on Wednesday, apart from those serving Agen and Toulouse, and the A63 motorway leading to Spain is closed in both directions between Bordeaux and Bayonne, on the Basque coast.
The French government will hold a meeting on Thursday to respond to the “concerns” of businesses, announced the Minister for Industry, Sébastien Martin. The ministry estimates that around 130,000 employees cannot work due to the fires.
In recent days, the south-east of France has also been affected by several fires, in Corsica, in the Hautes-Alpes (southeast) and in the Var (southeast).
In the latter department, the fire in the Gros Bessillon massif was finally “fixed” on Tuesday evening. The gendarmerie also arrested a 23-year-old man suspected of a series of vegetation fires in the department.
