FIRE OF THE GIRONDA. The fire in Saumos, in Gironde, was repaired from the afternoon of Thursday 15 September afternoon. 3,400 hectares of forest burned and 1,700 people out of 1,840 displaced were able to return to their homes.
[Mis à jour le 16 septembre à 8h11] Four days of struggle and 3400 hectares burned but the fire in Saumos, Gironde, was “repaired” on the afternoon of Thursday 15 September. It remains to control and extinguish the flames which, if they no longer advance, continue to burn the Médoc Regional Natural Park. The work of the firefighters who are still several hundred to be mobilized could still last several days “at least ten” according to the mayor of Sainte-Hélène, Lionel Montillaud, with Southwest. Their actions should, however, be facilitated by more favorable weather conditions which made it possible to put out yesterday’s fire according to press release of the prefecture. Firefighters also have to overcome the fire in Gironde, avoid or deal with shooting fires and hot spots that are still being observed.
Although the Saumos fire has not yet been extinguished, many homes are no longer in danger and 1,700 inhabitants of neighboring villages, or almost all of the people evacuated as a preventive measure, were able to return to their homes on the evening of 15 September. Another 140 people are kept away from their homes located in the “burnt areas” due to “security conditions [ne sont] not satisfied to allow reintegration “, the administration observed. The mobilization of a thousand firefighters and the deployment of important air resources – six Canadair, three Dash and two bomber helicopters – on the fire in Gironde have made it possible to avoid any tragedy human and material damage minimized even if some houses and buildings were engulfed by flames. France 3 New Aquitaine. The new elements of the forensic investigation showed that there was only one outbreak of fire, and not three as mentioned earlier this week. “All roads therefore remain open,” said a reporter who spoke to the Bordeaux prosecutor.
Map of the evolution of the fire in Gironde
It was in Saumos, a town near Lacanau and at the gates of the Médoc, in Gironde, that a new fire broke out on 12 September. The fire advances and threatens the city of Sainte-Hélène, but also the Temple. Below is a map to follow the evolution of the spread of the fire, updated on Thursday 15 September 2022 (14:00).
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What is the toll of the fire in Gironde?
After four days of firefighters in Gironde, no casualties were reported. Seven firefighters were slightly injured due to smoke poisoning. One of them even burned his hand. However, some material damage should be noted: three houses and five warehouses were devastated by the flames. To avoid any tragedy, more than 1,800 people were evacuated from their homes in Saumos, as well as around the town of Sainte-Hélène.
What is the origin of the fire in Gironde?
While the Gironde was suffering from oppressive heat when the fire broke out on September 12, the first elements of the investigation seemed to indicate a fire “a priori of criminal origin” according to the Girondins gendarmes. On Thursday 15 September the criminal thesis is no longer favored since only one burst of fire and not three, as had been initially announced, would have been observed. All roads remain open and investigations must continue.
The Gironde fire has occupied several hectares of forest in just a few hours, as shown by media images and videos of firefighters or videos of amateurs.
Several firefighters hit the Girondin department this summer, burning nearly 30,000 hectares, particularly in Landiras, in southern Gironde, and in La Teste-de-Buch, near the Bassin d’Arcachon. In July, the first fires and even the most destructive ones had different origins: that of La Teste was accidental while in Landiras the criminal trail was privileged. In August, the fire was due to the resumption of the Landiras fire due to the peat fires smoldering underground.
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