GIRONDE FIRES. Two major forest fires continue to progress in Gironde, in Landiras and La Teste-de-Buch. More than 7000 hectares have already burned. The latest info.
The essential
- This Friday, July 15, 2022, the fire is still wreaking havoc in Gironde. Two fires continue to progress in Landiras and La Teste-de-Buch. More than 7000 hectares have already burned.
- The latest assessment communicated this Friday morning by the authorities reports 4200 hectares burned in Landiras and 3100 in La Teste. A total of 1,000 firefighters are mobilized.
- Houses were destroyed by the fire and at least 480 people were evacuated overnight.
- Follow the evolution of the situation live.
Live
10:09 – 480 people evacuated near Landiras
As the fire progresses in Landiras, residents have been evacuated near Origne, Balizac and Louchats. 480 people had to leave their homes and were taken care of in Saint-Symphorien and Villandraut.
09:57 – A “quiet last night” in La Teste-de-Buch
Asked by RMC this Friday morning, the mayor of La Teste-de-Buch spoke of “a lull last night”. “The firefighters worked all night, I saw them on the ground, it’s impressive. There was a lull last night, we are reorganizing,” he said. However, he expressed his distress in the face of the flames: “I walked on the ground, around 11 p.m. (Thursday, editor’s note), particularly on the port of Cazaux. It was scenes of war, that’s the term that they often use and that’s the one I remember because that’s exactly it.”
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The fires broke out on Tuesday July 12 at 3 p.m. around the towns of Landiras and Teste-de-Buch, both located in Gironde. In La Teste-de-Buch, the hypothesis of a fire starting due to an electrical problem which occurred on a car which caught fire on track 214 near the road to the ocean beaches is studied by the investigators, the mayor Patrick Davet said he was certain that a “vehicle” was the cause of the accident. In Landiras, on the other hand, where the fire also broke out at the start of the afternoon, it is currently impossible to determine the origin of the forest fire. “All hypotheses are open,” declared Fabienne Buccio, Preferred from New Aquitaine and Gironde. Very quickly, the spread of these fires, fueled by the orientation of the wind, caused damage in the department with already more than 1700 hectares burned. The firefighters mobilized tried to control the flames while managing the evacuation of the 6,500 residents or vacationers present in the area.
The images of the flames are impressive. Shared by the media, by meteorological agencies or simply by worried passers-by, the photographs and videos of these forest fires circulate on social networks. It had been five years since the region had experienced a fire of such magnitude.
DIRECT – Fires in Gironde: “It’s a fierce fight” explains Commander Dellac who directs operations in La Teste-de-Buch
➡️ https://t.co/kDM7fpjpx2 pic.twitter.com/IJCpenFrqk– France Blue Gironde (@Bleu_Gironde) July 13, 2022
???? Impressive images of the violent fire last night in La Teste-de-Buch in Gironde, still not under control this morning. Another blaze is underway in Londiras. Already more than 1,500 hectares burned! (via SDIS33) pic.twitter.com/oJikhIRrm8
— Weather Express (@WeatherExpress) July 13, 2022
The fire that broke out yesterday afternoon continues to evolve this morning in the Landiras area, with more than 500 firefighters deployed in the area and helped by reinforcements from Corrèze. Landiras experienced the greatest damage with more than 1,000 hectares going up in smoke. The evacuation of more than 500 people was ensured overnight. Several roads have been closed to secure the area, including the departmental 115 between Guillos and Landiras, and the departmental 218 at the Dune du Pilat.
La Teste-de-Buch, in the Arcachon basin, is the second focus of the fire. Here too, the flames forced the authorities to organize the evacuation of nearly 6,000 people, mainly holidaymakers who were staying in campsites (there are five deserted campsites, as Commander Dellac of the Gironde firefighters explained to France 3 regions). The campers were taken care of by the Red Cross and welcomed to the Parc des expositions, without assurance of being able to replant their tents in the next few days. Six planes and two Canadairs are expected in the area.
It is surprising to imagine the very touristy Pilat dune deserted. And yet, the large site and its car park are strictly forbidden to the public on July 13, 2022 under the sign of flames. At a time when the 600 firefighters mobilized in Gironde are trying by all means to extinguish this devastating fire, the protection of inhabited areas and crowded sites is the priority. The Dune du Pilat therefore does not escape the preventive evacuation of the threatened sectors: on July 12, 6000 people had already had to leave the five campsites of the Dune du Pilat, near the fire in La Teste. The site of the great dune of Pilat and the RD218 towards the ocean beaches and Biscarrosse remain closed for the time being.