Firefighters continued to battle the blazes this Saturday, particularly in Gironde, Landes and Brittany, awaiting the arrival of evening thunderstorms and rain from the west, not yet knowing whether they will help when the lights go out.
Strong wind, hypothetical or heavy rain. these are the scenarios firefighters dread. The long-awaited coolness and moisture could be counterproductive, with the risk of flooding, according to Civil Safety, and storms that “may cause fire“, according to Lt. Col. Arno Mendus, spokesman for the Gironde fire department.
Storms. The prefect of the Gironde says he is afraid of fire
After a scorching Saturday, the weather finally worsens with the return of showers and thunderstorms, note: Weather channel in his daily press release. If these storms end the period of heat waves, they are not necessarily a good sign in the Gironde, says department prefect Fabien Bouchot. “Storms announced for the Gironde are dry storms, meaning no rain and lightning that will strike the ground.“He raised the alarm during the situation update on this Saturday, therefore fearing a possible new outbreak of the fire.
The firefighters and gendarmes are already on alert in the entire department.All barracks are on alert and all are ready to step in to extinguish a possible initial fire– he clarified, detailing that the storm is expected at 9 pm.
Fire inside “pause“in Gironde and Content in Landers
A month after the two giant fires in Landiras and Teste-de-Buch in the Gironde, the fire has resumed.Landiras-2“As the firemen call it, it isduring the break“, the prefecture and the fire department announced on Saturday morning. Its progressnow limitedAfter destroying 7400 ha of pines. According to Lieutenant Colonel Arno Menduse of the Gironde departmental fire and rescue service, contacted by AFP, “the situation has changed to a favorable one“and the fire”is on break“. “We remain very vigilant“because”if you no longer see large flames, the fire continues to consume vegetation and soil“, added the representative of the Gironde fire department. The meteorological service predicts a thunderstorm on Saturday evening, which will be accompanied by wind gusts up to 60 km/h.
Since Friday evening, 1,600 people have been able to return to their homes in Mustey and Saunac-et-Mureux, and this Saturday, which is classified as “red” by Bison Foote, the authorities have reopened the A63, which connects Bordeaux to Spain, which is closed . in the 20 km section from Wednesday. “Landiras 2:“caused the evacuation of 8,275 people, including several hundred residents of Ehpad or medical and social facilities, reports. Southwest.
But “The fire is still active on the west side“Gironde prefect Fabien Buccio warned, recalling that a thousand firefighters are still mobilized, supported by a contingent of European partners (Germans, Romanians, Poles and Austrians) and four foreign Canadians.
Fires in Aveyron. a new outbreak of fire in Mostuejuls
recovery”virulent“A fire in Mostuejules (Aveyron) on Saturday burned tens of additional hectares, according to the prefecture, which announced the precautionary evacuation of at least 1,000 people. This fire, which has destroyed more than 800 hectares between Aveyron and Loser since Monday, appeared around noon on Saturday.”is limited and will be gone soon“, the prefecture assessed at the time. “The fire is progressing unfavorably” he said on the other hand Saturday night. “Several tens of additional hectares were burned“and”six villages were evacuated“presenting”about 1,000 additional people“, he said in a press release.
Since Monday, the fire, which has caused no injuries, has already evacuated up to 3,000 people, who have since been allowed to return to their homes or places of residence when it came to vacationers. On Wednesday, a man living in Loser was charged with “reckless destruction by fire“. He is believed to have accidentally started the fire when a metal part of his trailer caused sparks as it scraped the ground, igniting roadside vegetation.
In addition, to avoid the risk of fire, the prefecture of Aveyron, in particular, has temporarily banned sporting events in natural areas, pyrotechnic shows or “any hunting or killing activity with a firearm that takes place in the wilderness“.
Firefighters from Europe and Polynesia are assisting
A thousand firefighters are still mobilized on the ground, including many reinforcements from several European countries. 77 Austrian firefighters arrived on Friday evening and are expected to join German and Romanian firefighters already deployed on the mission. The last group, 146 Polish firefighters, arrived in the afternoon, bringing the European aid contingent to 361 firefighters. 2 Italian Canadair planes and 2 more Greek ones, which started their mission on Friday, are added to this addition.
In Hostens, Gironde, where the PC began airing the Spanish Inn, the squad leader, Romanian colonel Christian Buhaianu, assured that his 77 firefighters, uniforms with red hangers, hats and trucks.pumps“- were”ready to go to the fieldThey were soon joined by 21 Polynesian firemen. “They arrive from the other side of the world to come and support their friends who are fighting the Gironde fire; thanks to our Polynesian firefighters for their solidarity. Mauruuru(thank you in Tahitian), President Emmanuel Macron tweeted in the afternoon.
A record year in burned hectares
In France, three times more hectares have been burned than the annual average of the last ten years, the year on record in the European Union since 2006. Even Jura, with its usually more temperate climate, was hit by two fires; In Brittany, a fire destroyed about 300 hectares of land in the Broceliand forest west of Rennes on Friday. By late afternoon it had already happenedtwo-thirds of the contentaccording to Pascal Bolot, prefect of Morbihan. The fire in Ardesh, which burned at least 320 hectares,fixed“, the prefecture of the department announced on Friday afternoon, adding that 150 to 200 firefighters had been mobilized.
Against this situation”exceptional“Several large French companies, Carrefour, Orange, EDF, Axa, Auchan or GRDF, have taken measures to facilitate the release of their volunteer firefighters, responding to the call of Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin. On Friday evening, the minister also asked the district heads “be especially vigilant“Even because of the cancellation of the traditional fireworks on August 15.”increasing the risk of fires“.
The drought continues
Rainfall expected Saturday evening will be insufficient to remedy the country’s historic drought, Météo-France warned after a month of July that saw an average of less than a centimeter of rain. storms”will fall on very dry soils with fairly significant runoff risks“which do not absorb water and increase the risk of flooding”.and the risk of hailForecaster Claire Chanal warned during a press briefing on Friday evening. A large part of France is banned from watering, and 73 prefects have even banned the withdrawal of water from farmers in all or part of their departments.
*The weather channel belongs to the Figaro group.
Source: Le Figaro
