A routine maneuver that ended in tragedy. A 76-year-old breeder was found unresponsive during the night from Saturday to Sunday after carrying out a burn-out in La Souche (Ardèche), we learned from the emergency services and the gendarmerie.
The firefighters were called on Saturday evening at 9:45 p.m. to put out a fire linked to burning, said a firefighter from Codis (Operational Fire and Rescue Center) in Ardèche. “After some research, we noticed that a breeder had not returned home and found his body around 4 a.m.” this Sunday, he said.
A fire out of control
According to the first elements of the investigation, the victim carried out a burn-out on a steep plot of land on his farm but did not control the fire which spread over two hectares before being contained by the firefighters, said a police source.
Burn-out is a common practice in agriculture, and consists of burning the vegetation present on a plot before putting it into cultivation. The ashes produced serve as fertilizer for the earth.
The man would have been poisoned by the smoke according to the firefighters' initial findings, added the gendarmerie source. Fifty-two firefighters and dog teams were involved in this operation. The investigation was entrusted to the Thueyts territorial brigade.