The new fire affecting the Gironde is less virulent than when it started.
The flames slowed their progress overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday in Gironde, northeast of the Arcachon basin, between Saumos and Sainte-Hélène.
More than 3,600 hectares of vegetation and forest have nevertheless gone up in smoke since Monday in this new large-scale fire.
“Sustained winds (…) pushed the firefighters to work hard all night.
The head of fire was quite active on the north-eastern front, with 300 hectares consumed overnight, ”said the sub-prefect of Lesparre-Médoc, Fabrice Thibier, during a press conference.
“We still have a very severe drought at the level of the forest massif”, underlined for his part the departmental director of the emergency services, Marc Vermeulen.
And the wind has changed direction - coming from the south until now, it is now blowing from the west.
“Which is never good news: we will be very vigilant,” he added.
During the day, the air resources will be reinforced with six Canadair in rotation - instead of three the day before - three Dash and two water bomber helicopters, in support of the 1,000 firefighters mobilized on the ground, from several regions.
Shortly before noon, small gusts of wind swept the area under a brilliant blue sky.
The rain could help fight the fire but it is not announced before the weekend: "That's why I asked for the reinforcement of all the operational units until Sunday", explained M. Vermeulen, pointing out “a few lightly wounded” among his troops.
This Wednesday morning, the prefecture explained that “no new destroyed dwellings” have been listed.
“The wind has died down.
The balance sheet is rather positive for the night”, declares Laurent Peyrondet, mayor of Lacanau, neighbor of the site of the disaster.
But, questioned on franceinfo, he was worried about the return of the wind from the end of the morning this Wednesday.
It also highlights the important "perimeter" of this fire, about ten kilometers.
The privileged criminal track
“There is no more season for fires, storm risks, floods.
It is no longer a summer season, but an annual season, ”analyzes Éric Brocardi, spokesperson for the National Federation of Firefighters of France, questioned on the same radio.
VIDEO: New fire in Gironde: residents evacuated
Nearly 1,000 firefighters are mobilized on the disaster which strikes the Gironde, 920 precisely.
Seven of them were slightly injured.
More than 800 people have had to leave their homes, but further evacuations are not planned at this time.
A police investigation is underway to determine the origin of the fire.
The criminal track is privileged.
This new disaster, in a department already affected by major fires this summer (nearly 30,000 ha burned in La Teste-de-Buch and Landiras), occurred in a context of high heat, with a monthly record recorded Monday in Bordeaux (37.5°C), unheard of in September since 1987 according to Météo France.
