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In Gironde, the fire is still smoldering. In Hostens, even if the flames are no longer visible, the forest continues to burn, underground. The situation worries the mayor.
Two and a half months after the resumption of the fire, the fire is burning more than ever, in the basement, in Hostens (Gironde). The mayor of the town, Jean-Louis Dartiailh, has banned access to the Lac du Bousquet forest. “There is the risk of falling trees and the famous risk of falling into a lignite furnace where the person will be burned instantly.“, he explains. Today, the ground can open at any moment on a fire burning at 600 degrees.
“Once the lignite burns, it will undermine all the ground and then when all the lignite burns, the earth will split open.”deplores Jean-Louis Dartiailh. The ground of an old mountain bike track was thus stolen. It will take a lot of rain to put out the Hostens underground fire. Lignite can continue to burn in an environment containing 75% humidity.