GIRONDE FIRES. After five days of fire recovery in Gironde, the fire is held, but not fixed, Sunday August 14, 2022. A total of 397 European firefighters came to help the firefighters. The thunderstorms from Saturday night to Sunday did not affect the area of the fire.
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- The fire which broke out in Gironde on Tuesday August 9 is “considered to be held, but is not therefore fixed”, assures the prefecture of Gironde in a communicated published Sunday August 14, 2022. The fire, which took place near Landiras, already affected by fires in mid-July, burned 7,400 hectares of forest. “The risks of recovery persist”, underlines the prefecture.
- On the night of Saturday August 13 to Sunday August 14, dry thunderstorms were expected in Gironde, raising the concern of firefighters. In the end, they did not touch the area and a “fine rain fell for a good part of the night”, details the prefecture. In addition, the drop in temperatures, which will not exceed 24°C, is good news.
- As part of the rescUE system, set up by the European Union, 397 European firefighters support the staff deployed in Gironde. They arrived, since Friday August 12, from Germany, Romania, Poland, Austria, Greece and Italy.
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11:30 – What are the European means deployed against the fire in Gironde?
In order to help the firefighters in their fight against the fire in Gironde, European firefighters arrived in the department on Friday August 12 and Saturday August 13. A total of 397 firefighters are on site, Sunday August 14, 2022. Here is the detail of the European workforce:
- 65 personnel and 24 vehicles for Germany,
- 77 personnel and 14 vehicles for Romania,
- 146 personnel and 49 vehicles for Poland,
- 73 personnel and 14 vehicles for Austria,
- 22 personnel and 2 Canadair for Greece,
- 14 personnel and 2 Canadair for Italy.
11:10 – The risks of resumption of fire persist in Gironde
In a press release of Sunday August 14, 2022, the prefecture of Gironde indicates that “the risks of recovery persist”. Consequently, land and air resources are still mobilized to extinguish the flames. “The hearths remaining active, the treatments of the edges, the resumption of fire and the civil engineering works continue”, details the prefecture.
10:50 am – Storms in Gironde did not aggravate the fire
On the evening of Saturday August 13, the Gironde prefecture and the firefighters shared their concerns over the announcement of dry thunderstorms expected in the area of the Landiras fire. Indeed, this type of storm, with wind and lightning strikes, could have led to numerous outbreaks of fire. Sunday August 14 in the morning, the prefecture of the Gironde explains that “the thunderstorms announced did not affect the area, and a fine rain fell for a good part of the night”. Good news for the firefighters, who have been fighting this fire for five days.
10:30 am – The fire in Gironde is held, but not fixed
In a communicated published Sunday August 14, 2022, the prefecture of Gironde indicates that the fire is “considered to be held”, but that it is not yet fixed. In total, 7,400 hectares of forest have burned since the fire resumed on Tuesday August 9. The prefect of Gironde, Fabienne Buccio, calls on residents to remain vigilant.
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Coming to Gironde on Thursday August 11, the Prime Minister, Élisabeth Borne, confirmed that the criminal trail was envisaged for the origin of these fires, but that the investigation should follow its course. On August 10, the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, mentioned this criminal track: “We have strong suspicions that the fire which is restarting is the work of arsonists”, he said. Since the first fires in this sector, the conditions were met for the fire to resume quickly. The ground is very dry due to severe drought and the first fires. Added to this are scorching temperatures.
The July fires, which broke out on Tuesday July 12 an hour apart, had different origins. In La Teste-de-Buch, the cause was accidental, since a broken down vehicle had caught fire. In Landiras, the findings made by criminal identification technicians “accredit a deliberately malicious act”, said the Bordeaux prosecutor. The investigation for destruction by fire of wood, of forest which could cause damage to people was entrusted to the Langon research brigade. Monday July 18, a man was taken into custody and questioned. Suspected to be the cause of some fires, but not the main fire, according to France Blue Girondehe had finally been released and is exonerated, Wednesday, July 20.
Fixed at the end of July, the fire in Landiras (Gironde) started again a few kilometers away, during the day of Tuesday August 9, before gaining in intensity in the evening. Sunday August 14, the prefecture announces that “the fire is now considered to be held, but is not fixed”, with 7,400 hectares of forest burned. Faced with the risk of resumption of fire, the firefighters remain mobilized. They are helped by 397 firefighters from all over Europe to fight the fire. Treatments of the edges, resumption of fire and civil engineering work continue, Sunday August 14 during the day.