In the west of France, the Gironde and the Landes are still plagued by flames. More than 10,000 people were evacuated, particularly in the municipalities of Hostens and Belin-Béliet. Overnight, these residents became homeless. Without a solution, some have found refuge in emergency reception centres. This is the case in the town of Salles.
With our special correspondent in Salles, Gregory Genevrier
Martial arts are over. The dojo of the commune of Salles has been transformed into an emergency accommodation centre. Nathalie Fouquet, evacuated from Belin-Beliet, found refuge there: “ It’s very well organized. So we have the meals, it’s very good. We have showers and then we have a dormitory with camp beds where the weather is very good, it’s air-conditioned, and a dining room where we almost all eat together. We met. Most of us didn’t know each other. We come from different backgrounds and we all find ourselves in the same boat. »
The people on site did not find other accommodation solutions. This is the case of Thierry Trezières who came with his seven-year-old son: “ I had no other solution, family and all thatsays the father of the family. Me, it’s family on the outside. On Langon or Marsac, there are people who have also been evacuated with their families. It was very hard for everyone. »
Relocate people
Volunteers and members of the town hall work to offer a quality welcome. They are helped by the Red Cross: We receive about twenty people every night, Explain Benjamin Sabourin, is the director of operations. For the time being, rehousing in people’s homes is working well. The situation is manageable in the accommodation center and we are always on the alert to set up other reception centres. »
Since the fire is not fixed, it is still impossible to know when they will be able to return home.
►Also read : France: the fires are progressing, the European countries are taking action
♦ More than 50,000 hectares destroyed by flames this year
Eight major fires at the same time in France. The country is experiencing a historic summer. July was the driest month on record since 1959. On average, 10,000 hectares go up in smoke each year. This week, the 50,000 hectare mark was exceeded.
The most impressive images come from Gironde. Reinforcements from several European countries will arrive. Beyond the regions of the South of France, which are more accustomed to these phenomena, the whole country is affected. Hectares of moors and forest burned in Brittany, Maine-et-Loire and even in the Jura. Consequence of the drought, widespread throughout France, according to climatologists, and which had already started, from June. Added to this, the episodes of heat waves, which, again, are not confined to the South of France. This is only a taste of what we will experience in the coming decades, warn climate specialists. The fires will multiply, intensify, and above all, last longer.