As the fires multiply in this scorching summer, the Aude is particularly watched. We remember, for example, the fires near Narbonne last year, and Mouxe where 850 hectares had burned, or the 750 hectares ravaged south of Carcassonne in 2019. To try to catch the fires very early and even try to prevent their departures, the agglomeration of Carcassonne and the SDIS 11 are experimenting with an unprecedented partnership: a patrol in pairs, which France Bleu Occitanie was able to follow.
180 km per day on average
It is a patrol of two people (a firefighter and an agent of the agglomeration, therefore), who are on the ground from 11 am to 8 pm. They travel 180 km per day on average, in about fifteen municipalities in the territory, in a Yellow Rover 4×4 on loan from the ONF. This one hasa 600L water tank and a high pressure lance. “It allows us to work 5 to 10 minutes on a nascent fire”, details Lieutenant Patrice Porceddu, who hopes that this system will be made permanent. For the moment, the experiment started on July 15 and must end on August 15.
The Lac de la Cavayère particularly monitored
The patrol passes at least twice a day at Lac de la Cavayère, “Carca beach”, which is very popular. “A place where we cut and cleared brush for a month with the help of the ONF to prevent the fires from spreading rapidly”, explains Claude, agent of the agglomeration who guides us that day. He watches attentively if no one puts their cigarette anywhere, or makes a barbecue; “I have already found black traces in the evening”. Vacationers who have come to take advantage of the 40-hectare site, bordered by pine trees, are rather wise. “But it can go very quickly, with a vehicle that heats the grass, glass in the sun or whatever”, warns volunteer firefighter Benoit. He has the skill to mobilize teams of firefighters and even a water bomber plane if necessary. “You have to be careful, especially since many houses are not far away”.
For the agglomeration, setting up a patrol for a month on a single massif costs €16,140 (€8,700 for personnel costs; €7,440 for fuel costs and vehicle maintenance).