The flames slowed their progression, on the night of Tuesday September 13 to Wednesday September 14, in Gironde, in Saumos, where more than 3,600 hectares of vegetation and forest have gone up in smoke since Monday in a new large-scale fire. This assessment is in addition to the few 30,000 hectares that burned this summer during three gigantic fires in the department, in La Teste-de-Buch and Landiras twice.
“Sustained winds (…) forced the firefighters to work hard all night. The head of fire was quite active on the northeast front, with 300 hectares consumed during the night”said Wednesday, at midday, the sub-prefect of Lesparre-Médoc, Fabrice Thibier, during a press conference. “We still have a very severe drought at the level of the forest massif”, underlined, for his part, the departmental director of the emergency services, Marc Vermeulen. And the wind has changed direction. “Which is never good news: we will be very vigilant”he added.
During the day, the air resources were also reinforced with six Canadair in rotation – instead of three the day before – three Dash and two water bomber helicopters, in support of the thousand firefighters mobilized on the ground.
Shortly before noon, small gusts of wind swept the area under a brilliant blue sky. Rain could help fight the fire, but it is not expected until the end of the week. “That’s why I asked for the reinforcement of all operational units until Sunday”explained Marc Vermeulen, also pointing out “a few minor injuries” among his troops.
Evacuation of 1,340 people
For his part, the spokesperson for the National Federation of Firefighters of France, Eric Brocardi, expressed “a bit of optimism”Wednesday morning on Franceinfo, adding: “We are dealing with a fire that lasts over time. » A week before the national congress of firefighters, in Nancy, he called to ask the question of the positioning “air means and land means, such as forest fire tankers, [qui] were mainly the armament of the south of France and allowed to radiate on the Mediterranean rim » in the face of a threat that now concerns “the whole territory”.
Some 500 people are being evacuated on Wednesday in two sectors of the commune of Sainte-Hélène, while the fire in the neighboring commune of Saumos, which has ravaged more than 3,600 hectares, continues, announced the prefecture. from the Gironde.
Since Monday, a total of 1,340 residents have had to urgently leave their homes in the municipalities of Saumos and Sainte-Hélène, in this area of southern Médoc, between the seaside resort of Lacanau, on the Atlantic coast, and the Bordeaux conurbation. “Most of them were welcomed into their families in other towns, with friends, in local lodges”, explained the mayor of Saint Helena, Lionel Montillaud, on Tuesday. Others were cared for by volunteers in a village hall.
“The weather conditions remain difficult, with the persistence of wind, heat and drought”specifies the prefecture of the department, “in vigilance orange forest fires” et “in stormy yellow vigilance” since midday.
A judicial inquiry has been opened to determine the origin of this fire. “No track is ruled out, even if the criminal thesis is privileged”according to the Bordeaux prosecutor’s office. “An investigation team is on site. All options are on the table. You have to be careful about the rumors that go around”declared for his part the sub-prefect.
This new fire, in a department already affected by major fires this summer – nearly 30,000 hectares burned in La Teste-de-Buch and Landiras –, intervenes in a very hot environmentwith a monthly record recorded Monday in Bordeaux (37.5 ° C), which had not happened in September since 1987, according to Météo-France.