“Today (Tuesday), we still have a lull”, declared during a press conference in Langon the prefect of Gironde and New-Aquitaine, “it is an important day, a day of calm but be careful , it’s not over. The forecast calls for warm temperatures and not much rain,» she added.
«We have a much lower progression» of the two lights of Landiras, 40 km south of Bordeaux, and La Teste-de-Buch, in the Arcachon basin, according to the prefect. «Today is very important because we were able to work on the defense against fire. We were able to really refine, move forward, create important firewalls. We will continue».
According to a latest report, 7,000 hectares were destroyed in La Teste-de-Buch and 13,300 in the Landiras sector, «without any burned house, no victim. Only an individual garage burned down», added Ms. Buccio.
At the foot of the Dune du Pilat, the fire notably carried away the five campsites evacuated of their 6,000 occupants on July 13, including that of the Dune-Les Flots Bleus, immortalized by the films «Camping». «Patrick is crying,» tweeted actor Franck Dubosc, who plays the main character, Patrick Chirac.
«We had a normal day compared to yesterday» Monday, an intense heat wave day, «we managed to contain the fire, to control it, to annoy it. We manage to have results, it is very motivating for the firefighters», continued the prefect.
About 2,000 firefighters, from all over France, and significant air resources (8 Canadair and 2 Dash) were mobilized on Tuesday for these fires which «have been and will remain mega-fires», according to Commander Sébastien Castel, Commander Codis 33 deputy.
President Emmanuel Macron will travel to Gironde on Wednesday «alongside firefighters, civil security personnel, law enforcement, elected officials and all those mobilized» against the gigantic fires, announced Tuesday. the Elysee.
During a press briefing in La Teste-de-Buch, three districts of which had been evacuated the day before, the prefect of Arcachon Ronan Léaustic spoke of a «foot-to-foot presence» of firefighters.
The «term of guerrilla warfare is completely appropriate,» said Colonel Fabrice Haulas, head of the South-West territorial group of firefighters, «since indeed, when we have a fairly tenuous forest habitat interface, we have to go house by house , district by district».
A third fire that started Monday evening in Vensac, in the Médoc, was set on Tuesday, ravaging 80 hectares.
The prefecture also ordered on Tuesday the preventive evacuation of the 2,000 inhabitants of the town of Saint-Symphorien, including 80 residents of Ehpad.
In the neighboring Landes, a few km from the Gironde border, the 120 inhabitants of the town of Mano were also evacuated as a precaution.
In addition, the man kept in custody as part of the investigation into the Landiras fire, a 39-year-old Girondin, has already been heard for similar facts, AFP learned from the Bordeaux prosecutor’s office. «He does not explain the facts for the moment and has not made a spontaneous confession,» said the prosecution, which also indicates that his police custody is extended.
Finally, the day after their evacuation from the zoo of Teste-de-Buch, some 370 animals were gathered at the zoo of Pessac, near Bordeaux, an operation «unique in its kind», according to Rodolphe Delord, president of the association. French Zoological Parks (AFdPZ) on the job.
In the transport, eight animals, «small monkeys, a parrot, an otter died because of the heat», according to the director of the Beauval zoo. The other animals were to be distributed to other zoos. «They will not be visible to the public. They will be watered, fed, before returning to La Teste when the conditions are favorable,» he said. The biggest – elephants, hippopotamuses, etc. – stayed at La Teste, with carers «to reassure them».