“There’s the whole slope where people are flying, see the whole descent, all the pines, everything is grilled.” Installed under the parasol at her favorite spot on the Haut Pyla beach in Teste-de-Buch (Gironde), Françoise gazes in the distance at the Dune du Pilat, this immense light yellow site surrounded by pine trees. Last week they were green. Today, in the distance, we only see streaks of ash. “Look on the beach, because it will have to be cleaned”she laments.
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For 60 years, this resident of Arcachon has been an “aficionado” of this beach, nicknamed the Garolle beach by connoisseurs. She comes from elsewhere with her husband and her two granddaughters, delighted to find the place. “We were not well, she assures. It is an institution, the beach of the Garolle. OWe used to come here, we all have our friends, we all know each other. It’s a big family.”
It is also a relief for the 3,000 inhabitants of Pyla-sur-Mer, who have been able to find their homes. As soon as the village road reopened, Leo and his sœur Marie returned with their parents to their vacation home. “We have things that are enormously valuable to us, it’s a house that we love very much”confides Marie who was afraid that objects would burn outside, that the house would catch fire.
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And for good reason: the village is located only a few kilometers from the fire which is still raging. Daniel was also very worried about his house. He comes out of it rather reassured after three days of worrying. “A priori, everything is okhe says after having gone around the owner. There are no houses that have caught fire. It’s complicated because with the heat we had, we were maybe three kilometers away as the crow flies, which is absolutely nothing. So, if we can come back, we are indeed very happy.”