Beginning of calm on the front of the fires in Gironde and in the Landes. the fire “extraordinary” was no longer progressing this Saturday morning, thanks to the intervention of French firefighters now supported by European reinforcements. One month to the day after the two gigantic fires of Landiras and Teste-de-Buch in Gironde, the resumption of fire has not “most known of progress for 48 hours now”, welcomed the departmental director of the firefighters of the Gironde, Marc Vermeulen during a press briefing on Friday at the end of the afternoon. The inhabitants of certain sectors of the Landes municipalities of Moustey and Saugnac-et-Muret were even allowed to go home at 8 p.m. Follow the situation with France Bleu.
The essential
- The fire broke out on Tuesday. At 8:30 this Saturday morning, 7,400 hectares had burned
- The fire between Gironde and Landes has not progressed “for two days” and “has not progressed significantly” overnight
- Of the 10,000 inhabitants evacuated, 1,600 were able to return to their homes in the Landes
- A total of 1,500 firefighters are mobilized, including nearly 400 from other European countries.
- The last 20km section of the A63 closed until now reopened this Friday evening at 8 p.m.
- A public information cell was opened by the prefecture from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.: 0.800.713.633
- The Gironde is on red alert for the risk of forest fires, as is the Landes
- France Bleu Gironde is no longer picked up on radio sets in the fire sector: Enedis has cut the power to facilitate the work of firefighters. Follow us on francebleu.fr and the mobile app HERE.
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The situation on the fire front
A little respite for the firefighters on the ground. The fire between Gironde and Landes has not progressed “since two days” and is “maintained”, announced this Friday afternoon the prefect of Gironde Fabienne Buccio. According to a new point of the prefecture this Saturday morning, the fire “has not made significant progress” in the night. The burnt surface is still 7,400 hectares of vegetation this Saturday morning.
A new fire broke out this Friday evening in Sore in the Landes near Moustey but it was fixed overnight, according to France Bleu Gascogne. It burned 16 hectares.
– SDIS 33
– SDIS 33
What weather conditions for Saturday?
The heat will continue to rage this Saturday over a large part of France, before the arrival in the evening of thunderstorms and rain from the west, bad weather which could help firefighters still fighting fires in Gironde and in The Landes. However, the impact of thunderstorms on the ongoing fires remains difficult to predict, in particular due to the risk of strong gusts. The SDIS which specifies that “Weather France is forecasting gusts of wind up to 70 km / h on Sunday evening” and worries about the lack of rain: “If it does not rain at the same time, it can be very problematic“. “Nothing lasting in terms of rain, because Sunday afternoon it is no longer raining in Gironde” added Bruno Mouchet from Météo France on France Bleu Gironde.
According to a new point from Météo France this Saturday morning, 16 departments are still on orange alert for the heat wave, including Gironde and Landes.
Update on evacuations
Since the start of the disaster, 10,000 inhabitants have been evacuated, including 2,000 in the Landes.
Of the 2,000 evacuees from the Landes, 1,600 were able to go home this Friday evening, announced the Landes prefecture. They are inhabitants of Moustey and Saugnac-et-Muret. But not all sectors are concerned: find the details in the press release from the prefecture. As for the residents of the Tandem and Le Cottage homes, they will be able to return to their homes from Tuesday, August 16.
No return home is yet planned in Gironde.
European columns as reinforcements
In the field, 361 firefighters from several European countries have begun to lend a hand to the 1,100 French firefighters already deployed. German reinforcements are already on the ground as part of the Romanian column.
– SDIS 33
– SDIS 33
– SDIS 33
The end of the Rumanian column arrived this Friday evening as the first Austrian detachment. The rest of the Austrian detachment arrived at the very end of the night by road. The last contingent, the largest in number, the Poles, should arrive at the beginning of the afternoon this Saturday.
At the Mérignac air base, near Bordeaux, two Italian Canadairs and two Greek Canadairs also arrived on Friday morning and for some, immediately began their mission in the Landes de Gascogne forest. “We are happy because we know we are helping you, friends”, says Greek commander Anastasis Sariouglou, 36, who is on his first mission to France. These European reinforcements will soon be joined by 21 Polynesian fire soldiers. “They arrive from the other side of the world to come and support their comrades who are fighting the flames in Gironde: thank you to our firefighters in Polynesia for their solidarity. Mauruuru!” (thank you in Tahitian), President Emmanuel Macron tweeted Friday afternoon.
– SDIS 33
Practical information
- A public information cell was opened by the prefecture from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.: 0.800.713.633
- You will find the roads cut in the Landes and Gironde in this article
The last 20km section of the A63 closed until now reopened this Friday evening at 8 p.m., on the eve of the weekend of August 15. The firefighters undertake to close this axis in less than an hour if necessary.