Dark week for Mathieu Valbuena. The French footballer who plays at Olympiakos saw the campsite he co-owns, Pyla-Camping, go up in smoke during the fires that ravaged the Gironde. Léa’s dad had expressed his sadness in the columns of the Parisian : “I have a hard time realizing that there is nothing left today. I never could have imagined it would go this far. It is a classified site, which crosses borders with many French and foreigners who came to camp or simply see the Dune du Pilat. It hurts“.
But the troubles only seem to be beginning for the sportsman who could have a hard time getting reimbursed by his insurers. According to our colleagues from Le Parisien, the Pyla-Camping was “in infraction” for several years. What do we blame the owners for? “The installation of a hundred mobile homes per campsite, without requesting the special authorization required“. The daily specifies that an official document issued on July 20 specified that the Pyla-Camping was therefore in breach of the environmental code.
Stéphane Carella, the other co-owner of the campsite, told the Parisian that he was currently trying to straighten things out: “I was supposed to file next week (…) They wanted us to go from 120 to 35 mobile homes, but then we would be economically dead. We’re down to 69 this season“But in the meantime, insurers could use this little hiccup to drag things out. Fortunately, in this difficult context, the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, asked insurers to “participate in the resolution of this crisis“and to best help the”damaged companies that have an insurance policy covering the fire risk or even the operating risks“.
More than 20,000 hectares of forest have been destroyed in Gironde since the start of the fires, which have not progressed since Wednesday when “significant means“remain engaged according to the firefighters. They are continuing” thee treatment of edges and hot spots“which smoke and can cause re-ignition if not cooled.”We dealt with about thirty outbreaks of fire on the two sites“, explained Friday the fire chief of Gironde Marc Vermeulen to AFP, who declared himself”optimistic for the future“, even if he is wary of the day of Sunday “with temperatures above 30°C” at both sites. Some 1,400 firefighters were mobilized on Friday, he said.
Due to the smoke from the fires, a suspended particle alert procedure has been underway in Gironde and in the Landes since Thursday, with messages aimed at sensitive populations. Since the start of the two fires ten days ago, more than 36,000 residents and holidaymakers had been forced to pack their bags urgently as a preventive measure. Laure Manaudou and Jérémy Frérot, who live in the region, had been evacuated in disaster earlier this week.