“After twelve days of fierce struggle, I am able to announce that the fire of Landiras is now fixed.” Nearly two weeks after the outbreak of fires in Gironde, the prefect of the department, Fabienne Buccio, took stock of the situation, in press conference, Monday July 25. The other fire that hit the Gironde, in La Teste-de-Buch, had already been declared “fixed” Saturday. Fabienne Buccio also announced that all evacuated residents would “to be able to return to their homes”. Franceinfo takes stock of the situation.
Lights fixed, but not extinguished
On July 12, less than two hours apart, two fires broke out in Gironde. The first at 3:11 p.m., in La Teste-de-Buch, sn the Arcachon basin, near the Pilat dune. He started in the user forest, “a poorly maintained and difficult to access pine forest, surrounded by sensitive points”, as the prefect Fabienne Buccio clarified again on Monday morning. The Gironde prefecture announced on Saturday July 23 that this fire was fixed.
The second fire started on July 12 at 4:35 p.m., near Landiras, 45 km south of Bordeaux, in a forest of maritime pines. This second fire was not fixed until Monday. Fire “no longer progressing, it is the mastery phase that has begun”explained the mayor of Landiras, Jean-Marc Pelletant. “It’s a first step, another decisive step”he rejoiced on franceinfo. “He is calm, if I may say so, for now”he added.
Nevertheless, “it is not over, there will now be the watch of the fire, the guard of the fire”warned the mayor of Landiras. “Be careful, the fires are fixed. They are not extinguished. This means that there are no longer any active fireplaces”, confirmed Fabienne Buccio. According to firefighters, a fire is “fixed” when they think it will not progress further. It is then “tamed”, then “extinguished” and then needs to be “monitored”, as we explain in this article.
More than 20,000 hectares burned
In La Teste-de-Buch, the fire, which is 7 km long, ravaged 7,000 hectares. The second fire, with a perimeter of 69 km, destroyed just over 13,000 hectares. In total, the two fires ravaged 20,800 hectares, which represents twice the area of Paris intra muros.
All roads have been reopened to traffic, except departmental 218, which provides access to the five campsites that have gone up in smoke and the Dune du Pilat. But it could soon be accessible again, under conditions. “By tonight, a decision will be made”announced Fabienne Buccio on BFMTV Monday at midday.
Thousands of people evacuated
During these 13 days, 36,750 people were evacuated, including 20,000 because of the fire in La Teste-de-Buch. Most were able to return to their homes, according to the Gironde prefecture. But among these people, around 6,000 are holidaymakers evacuated from the five campsites on the Dune du Pilat which were then destroyed by the flames.
Around the Landiras fire, where “the habitat is very dispersed”, according to the prefect of Gironde, a little more than 16,000 inhabitants from 16 municipalities were evacuated. After waves of return on Friday and Saturday, those who had not yet been able to return home “will be able to return to their homes”announced Fabienne Buccio on Monday morning. “This represents approximately 5,000 inhabitants”, specified the special envoy of France 2 Julie Vitaline, in the JT of 1 p.m.
However, the boss of the Gironde firefighters (Sdis 33), Marc Vermeulen, invites “the population not to approach the fumaroles”.
Marc VERMEULEN Director of #Sdis #Gironde invites the population not to approach the fumaroles.
A telephone number will be communicated to residents. Otherwise call 18.
THANK YOU pic.twitter.com/NlhaRnToSr– Prefect of New Aquitaine and Gironde (@PrefAquitaine33) July 25, 2022
“The results are positive because there were no victims”, “there were five houses destroyed out of the nearly 2,800 exposed”added the prefect.
Exceptional means mobilized
During her press conference on Monday, the prefect of Gironde insisted on the aspect “extraordinary” fires, by their “duration”their “magnitude” and their “simultaneity”, “reinforced by exceptional climatic conditions”. But also and above all by the means deployed, although criticized.
“From day one, we had air assets. Two to eight water bombers, Canadair or Dash, two water bomber helicopters and a helicopter from Sdis and army support for fire surveillance”developed Fabienne Buccio. “Up to 3,000 firefighters from Gironde and 1,200 firefighters from 60 departments were mobilized”, she added. And to specify that 25 injured firefighters had been injured, “fortunately slightly”.
These two fires also caused the authorities to “be imaginative” with the creation of firewalls to fight against the flames. “Titanic and unprecedented works” have emerged, continued the prefect. Who specified they were “ongoing”.
“Faced with the scale of the crisis, we were forced to show imagination”
131 km of civil engineering works (firewalls and support lines) carried out with the support of @DFCIaquitaine and companies in the sector as well as volunteers, farmers and hunters.– Prefect of New Aquitaine and Gironde (@PrefAquitaine33) July 25, 2022
On these two fires still stand “three columns of extra departmental reinforcements” as well as “air resources: two attack helicopters and two Canadair”, said Marc Vermeulen. He also hailed “the national effort and the extent of the assistance that the firefighters have received”. According to him, this shows that “the French civil security mechanism is capable of responding to these extraordinary situations”.