Firefighters from Drôme and Ardèche worked hand in hand this Saturday, June 11 during a life-size exercise. Many material resources have been deployed to fight a fake fire mainly in the forest massif of the municipality of Baix in southern Ardèche. They imagined that a train of dangerous goods had caused sparks probably during a faulty braking on the rails. By 10 a.m. nearly 100 hectares had burned.
The exercise was conducted from a command post in front of Baix town hall. Several strategic points have been established in the massif around the imaginary fire. With the exception of aerial means, many vehicles were present in the sector, in particular imposing trucks equipped with lances capable of projecting liquids at 70 m. A general rehearsal to officially launch, in the presence of the prefect of the Ardèche, the forest fire season in the department recently affected by a fire which ravaged 30 hectares in Joannas.
– Erwan Chassin
Even if the forest fires are early this year because of the drought that is hitting the two departments, for the moment neither the Drôme firefighters nor the Ardèche do not sound the alarm bell even if they are extremely vigilant. What they watch closely is the wind, which can quickly send a simple brush fire out of control.
They also call _people to be vigilant when they are in the forest or in a particularly dry area_. “No barbecue in the forest, watch out for cigarette butts thrown out the car window etc”. Firefighters also fear malicious acts. “Arsonists set fires simply to see the large deployment of firefighters’ equipment in an area” regrets the general of SDIS 26 Didier Amadeï. “On the ground, in trucks, in water bombers or helicopters, there are lives that put themselves in danger” concludes the comptroller general of the Drôme firefighters.