Published
Update
Video length: 4 mins.
Article written by
/2021/12/14/61b8b9accb57c_france-3.png)
It’s an almost invisible fire: seven months after the gigantic fires that ravaged 34,000 hectares in Gironde, the basement is still burning in Hostens. Coal from a former lignite mine burns underground, in hotbeds at over 300°C. Authorities are debating whether to pump water from the lake to flood the area.
Seven months after the start of the fire of the century, in Gironde, the forest is disfigured, the earth charred. Even more worrying: the fire is still not extinguished in places. In the middle of winter, dozens of ash stumps are still active. The reason: lignite, a rock similar to coal, very present in the subsoil. It burns in fireplaces at 323°C.
Pumping water from the lake, a dilemma
The Hostens area (Gironde), of 300 hectares, is closely monitored. Every week, engineers take readings. They noticed the banks receding from the shore of the lake due to collapsing soils. While the mayor is considering pumping water from the lake to flood the area, in the nearby forest, a resident wonders. Last summer, the fire stopped two steps from her home, threatening her house. Firefighters drown the most threatening strains, but their boss fears a tougher recovery than in 2022 in the absence of precipitation.
View comments