Residents rally to help firefighters

At Locoal-Mendon in Morbihan, everyone gets their hands dirty, Tuesday August 9th. In front of this farmhouse left available by its occupants, many of them bring something to eat. Nelly brought a salad: “We did it with the children, everyone gave a little helping hand, it’s normal.” There is also beef bourguignon simmered by a local. Philippe, a former firefighter, comes to deliver meal trays made by a caterer.

And to manage this logistics, Sandrine and Anne-Isabelle, who both work in the restaurant business, have decided to put their experience to good use. “It’s impossible to stay idle”explains Sandrine. “We have to bring them the little of what we can bring them: comfort, logistics.” A know-how that they put at the service of firefighters, “as some merchants offer their premises for example.” “Our mission is to put the buffets in order, prepare sandwiches, direct the firefighters who arrive”.

And there is one who takes her job very seriously, it’s Anne-Gaëlle. She prepares sandwiches on the chain to feed the Alsatian firefighters who have just arrived as reinforcements. “And it eats the Alsatian firefighters”, she jokes, without losing the rhythm. But not everyone has time to sit down and eat so she makes “small batches”, like packed lunches, so that they can take them with them, and take them to the colleagues who remained near the line of fire.

And for those who are lucky enough to be able to relax a bit, Jérôme has brought oysters from the Ria d’Etel. “We thought it would give them a little comfort, a little freshness”. And it’s not to displease “Lulu”, firefighter for 25 years._“_I never saw that”, he laughs. Yann is also very grateful. “We can only thank them. We don’t sleep much but human warmth is enough for us.”

A solidarity that is also expressed in the face of the flames. The mayor of Locoal-Mendon, Karine Bellec also wishes to highlight the intervention of the inhabitants. “I saw them hitting the fields with their shovels to extinguish the sparks. And then the farmers mobilized in an incredible way!” More than 20 tank trucks were able to support the firefighters in the face of the flames, which ravaged more than a hundred hectares.