A fire broke out this Monday afternoon in the town of Le Tuzan, in Gironde. More than 200 hectares have been destroyed. The fire was reportedly set at around 10 p.m.
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The fire broke out around 3 p.m. this Monday afternoon between Le Tuzan, Hostens and Saint-Symphorien, in Gironde. The flames quickly spread throughout the area. At 6 p.m., nearly 150 hectares were burnt. The balance rose to 250 hectares at 9:30 p.m. The fire would now be fixed.
????#Forest fire Le Tuzan – Saint-Symphorien sector
Update at 8:00 p.m. – fire “in progress”
➡️ + than 200 ha brulés
➡️200 firefighters and 40 resources engaged
➡️Dash and Canadair perform rotations
➡️ 50 people evacuated as a preventive measure because of the annoying smoke pic.twitter.com/Hf4URWPsUZ– Prefect of Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Gironde (@ PrefAquitaine33) July 27, 2020
200 firefighters in the field
On site, the firefighters of Saint-Symphorien, Bazas, Langon, Belin-Béliet, Salles, Cabanac or even La Brède were present to lend a hand. They were joined by the Landes firefighters. To these were added the firefighters of Lot-et-Garonne, Charente-Maritime and Dordogne who came as reinforcements.
To reinforce their action, a civil security water bomber plane went to the scene. A second Dash came as reinforcements to extinguish the flames. They should be joined by two Canadairs from Nîmes. They now rotate to put out the fire. In total, 25 drops were made over the pine forest.
Fire at the Tuzan in the background + a fireplace in the foreground. Canadair planes land on the Garonne to fill up with water. @SO_Bordeaux @South West pic.twitter.com/pokWsMBt3I
— Tom Goumain (@darkeos_gaming) July 27, 2020
Three fronts were deployed: in Louchats, Le Tuzan and Saint-Symphorien, the three towns affected by the flames. One of the three was stabilized around 8 p.m., the other two remain under surveillance. And particularly that of Gaillardine, towards which the fire is heading, due to a south-westerly wind, which feeds and pushes the flames.
In total, more than 200 firefighters were mobilized and a hundred trucks. According to the sub-prefect, up to 250 firefighters could be mobilized.
The situation was unfavorable according to firefighters who saw two of their trucks in flames, without causing any casualties. “It is a very virulent fire which is located on pines from 10 to 20 years old, which therefore burn very quickly. And the fire also creates its own wind”, explains the Gironde firefighters. The terrain is not in their favor either: sandy and surrounded by ditches, the trucks have difficulty moving. Another difficulty: the dry branches that puncture the tires of the trucks.
A photovoltaic panel farm located in Saint-Symphorien has been affected. On the other side, the village of Tauzan is also one of the threats. Four hamlets, La grave Tuapière, Gaillardine, Bourg Nord and Janthieu, were evacuated preventively, because of the smoke.
50 people evacuated
About fifty people were gathered at the village hall of Saint-Symphorien, where they will spend the night. The sports hall could also reopen. Civil security arrived on site and is supported by volunteers from the Red Cross. At 8 p.m., the flames had injured four people. They are firefighters, inconvenienced by toxic fumes.
About fifty people will spend the night in the town hall of Saint-Symphorien.
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© Camille Becchetti
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Traffic has been cut on the RD3 and RD115 / E11, and the prefect calls to avoid the area. The gendarmerie is on site to secure the area. The prefect of the Gironde, Fabienne Buccio greeted “the action of firefighters engaged on land and in the air to fight against this fire”.
The sub-prefect of Langon, Eric Suzanne is on site. The mayor of Saint-Symphorien quickly joined him. On the spot, some motorists were forced to stop, because of the smoke, as shown in the video of this Girondine. In question, the high heat with temperatures around 35 ° C in the department, and a period of drought for several days. At around 6.30 p.m., the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, tweeted his support for the men of the fire.
Support for our firefighters who, on land and in the air, are currently fighting a very virulent forest fire in Tuzan, in Gironde. Their courage and dedication commands our respect.
If you live nearby, be vigilant and follow the instructions of the authorities. https://t.co/o5VgePcI6M— Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) July 27, 2020
And solidarity is organized. The director of the Intermarché of the town decided to reopen his store to provide bread and sandwiches.
► Photos of our journalists in the field, Camille Becchetti and Pascal Zuddas
© C. Becchetti / France 3 Aquitaine
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© Camille Becchetti / France 3 Aquitaine
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© C. Becchetti / France 3 Aquitaine
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The fire ravaged 250 hectares at 9 p.m.
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© Camille Becchetti / France 3 Aquitaine
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On the networks, several people confirm having seen the columns of smoke from Cabanac-et-Villagrain or Cap-Ferret.
Forest fire in progress in the town of Le Tuzan (33). The plume of smoke is visible from Cap-Ferret. 50 hectares have already burned, according to @PrefAquitaine33 pic.twitter.com/2QS0L6mQe4
– Boris Kharlamoff (@BorisKharlamoff) July 27, 2020
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