German firefighters come as reinforcements

Barely arrived at the scene of the fire, in Belin-Béliet (Gironde), the German firefighters are hard at work. Equipped with bags filled with water, they put out hot spots to prevent the flames from spreading. Nearly indomitable forest fires are unusual terrain for them. “The landscape and the plants that grow here are different from ours, the soil too. So we have to adapt our way of working”commented Simon Friz, team leader, Friday 12 August.

The organization is not yet perfect, and the language barrier does not facilitate the work. “It’s a technical language, so we manage to understand each other. It forces us to concentrate perhaps a little more”, says a French firefighter. The Germans present all volunteered to fight the flames. “We are proud to be here. All the colleagues are very keen to learn, to improve, and also of course to come to the aid of French firefighters in an effective way”, explains Heiko Basten, a German firefighter. About sixty German firefighters took turns closer to the fire. They will soon be joined by 300 firefighters from other European countries.