A respite for the firefighters. The weather was milder on Wednesday on Corsica, after several days of fire fanned by strong winds which calmed down and allowed the intervention of water bombers.
The Bavella fire, also presented as the Quenza fire in Corse-du-Sud, "no longer presents any danger for the villages of Solaro and Sari, and the hamlet of Togna", announced the prefecture at 5 p.m.
Nearly 600 people are fighting against this fire, which has covered approximately 4,600 ha since February 4, now trying to protect the forest with the support of 4 water bombers and 5 helicopters. A job that is expected to last several more days.
In orange vigilance until Tuesday evening at 9 p.m., Corse-du-Sud was already green again on Wednesday morning, and Haute-Corse in turn went green on Wednesday afternoon, Météo France announced.
Containment of residents lifted
"The priority is to have the Canadairs dump water at the precise locations that will allow us to make a lock for the spread of fire," Colonel Frerson explained on Wednesday. Firefighters were then to be dropped off by helicopters at sensitive points inaccessible by road.
VIDEO (Corsica-Morning) Air reinforcements on the front of the fire at Quenza Solaro
Fire of Quenza Solaro: air reinforcements on the front pic.twitter.com/uvuktWPMF6
- Corse-Matin 📰 (@Corse_Matin) February 12, 2020The confinement of the inhabitants of the hamlets of Sari and Togna, on the heights of the municipality of Sari-Solenzara, had been lifted as early as Wednesday morning. He had been ordered by authorities Tuesday afternoon as a precaution.
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At the Col de l'Arone, water bomber planes multiplied the drops on Wednesday mid-day. Drone pilots were also on the area to help locate hot spots.
Firefighters demand more resources
Faced with "the chronological stretching of the forest fire season [...], the solicitation of firefighters will become more important", worries the national federation of firefighters of France (FNSPF).
The organization, which brings together the 247,000 active firefighters (volunteers, professionals and military), considers it "essential to define a strategy for adapting the means" to face "the crises generated by global warming".
"These risks, now partially contained, will no longer be tomorrow in the current state of things, where these situations, to date exceptional, will become common," warned the FNSPF.