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Forest fires in the Alpes-Maritimes: "We are not immune to the fires escaping us"

2023-03-16T07:07:04.952Z


Affected by a worrying winter drought, the department has been the prey of a series of large fires in recent days. In Figaro, the Comptroller General René Dies details the means of the SDIS 06 for the summer season.


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LE FIGARO.

- Several fires have broken out in recent days in the Alpes-Maritimes.

20 hectares were particularly affected in the hinterland of Grasse, and 50 hectares in Briançonnet.

Is such a situation in winter exceptional in the department?

Rene Dies.

-

Having fires in winter in the Alpes-Maritimes is common.

What is not is this multiplicity.

Over three days, we had 9 starts, and 31 since the start of the year.

With, I remind you, 90 hectares affected.

From this point of view, it is quite unusual.

This can be explained in two ways: first by drought, with very dry vegetation conducive to the spread of flames.

And then by the storm.

Because many of the fires last weekend have an electrical origin, with poles which caught fire after falling under repeated gusts.

We sometimes hear about the phenomenon of

winter fires

.

What is the difference with

summer fires

 ?

Winter fires have less virulence.

The real difference is the rate at which the fire spreads.

A summer fire spreads very quickly and its power is increased tenfold.

It releases much more thermal power.

Take the case of Grasse in recent days.

We saw very white smoke, characteristic of winter fires.

However, those of summer fires are much darker, even black when it is a big fire.

31 forest fires since the beginning of the year, including 9 in three days.

From your experience, what does this bode for the summer season?

We could make an interpretation but to tell you the truth, the most important thing for us is to have rainy episodes during the operational season.

Before, summer was 90 days, now it will be 120 days.

Rain is therefore necessary.

With a good rain on August 15 for example, we are “quiet” for the next ten days.

Of course, if it rains before the season, it also makes work easier because we have plants that are much less dry.

“The most important thing for us is to have rainy episodes during the operational season.

Before, summer was 90 days, now it will be 120 days.

Rain is therefore necessary.

With a good rain on August 15 for example, we are ''quiet'' over the next ten days.

»

What are the means, both material and human, of the SDIS 06 to fight against fires?

Are they sufficient?

It's never enough.

But I can tell you that in the Alpes-Maritimes, we are richly endowed.

We're lucky to have three water bomber helicopters.

In the summer, we have them permanently and in the winter, it is on demand.

But we get them within 24 hours.

When we have severe risks of forest fires, we also have the possibility of putting a preventive device on the ground.

Every day, we are thus able to deploy 200 firefighters, dedicated solely to this aspect of intervention.

Read alsoFires: the “reading” of fire at the heart of investigations to identify criminals

We are also equipped with 136 forest fire tankers, which is not nothing.

Not to mention the 4,600 firefighters, including volunteers, we have in the department, supported by forest firefighters who help us in monitoring and fighting.

Finally, there is a national and interdepartmental solidarity system.

Helping each other is part of French doctrine.

All this means that the capacity rupture remains improbable to date.

Some SDIS also have advanced technological means, is this the case in the Alpes-Maritimes?

Yes, we are developing very modern means, such as drones, which were very useful to us on the Grasse fire, by taking active measurements of hot spots while monitoring the fire.

This allows us to target the treatment of fire.

We also want to improve on the fire alarm, and from this point of view we put into service last summer the "Speakylink" tool, which allows us to take control of the smartphone of the person who calls us. and use it as a camera.

This helps us to properly size the operational response.

“When it comes to forest fires, you have to remain humble and modest.

We are not immune to fires escaping us, nor to dealing with a mega fire.

»

The department was placed on drought alert last week and restrictions on water have already been taken.

How concerned is that to you?

Drought is obviously a major issue for us in terms of the forest.

Regarding the lack of water, we remain vigilant that the external defense against fire, that is to say the water points that we distribute on the territory, is always optimal.

Whether it's fire poles, tanks that we preposition or bodies of water on which helicopters will collect water.

If all this equipment is full, the drought will have no impact on us in the fight against fires.

Read also“Incendiary pressure is atypical”: in the Alpes-Maritimes, a weekend marked by multiple forest fires

Are you preparing now for the potential forest fires this summer?

Absolutely, we don't just work on luck!

We have what is called a departmental forest fire operation order, which is written each year and validated by the prefect.

The latter takes over the organization of the previous year and seeks to improve it.

We should release it in April.

This year, for example, we are looking to recruit more seasonal volunteer firefighters.

They were 60 last year, we would like to have a hundred this summer.

Listening to you, do you seem relatively confident about the coming summer despite the high risk of fires in the department?

I am confident about the means we have, but I also have enormous fears, particularly in certain peri-urban areas, in Valbonne for example, or even in the Esterel and Tanneron massifs, which are sectors at risk.

When it comes to forest fires, you have to be humble and modest.

We are not immune to fires escaping us, nor to dealing with a mega fire.

Source: lefigaro

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