Thousands of hectares have gone up in smoke for several days, but the fire soldiers could not do much because of the strong winds that were blowing over Corsica. Four Canadair and two water bomber helicopters went into action Wednesday morning to fight the major fires ravaging the Isle of Beauty. The priority is to drop water on certain strategic points to stop their spread.
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Secondly, when the situation is under control, firefighters will be placed by helicopter on these areas, inaccessible by road. On the ground, more than 300 men and 80 vehicles are currently deployed. Some 3,000 hectares of vegetation have already gone up in smoke.
Access to villages remains regulated
Containment was lifted in the village of Sari-Solenzara and in the hamlet of Togna. Residents can now reach their homes. "There's always smoke," says Jacquie, who works at the Sari-Solenzara pharmacy. "The roads are not accessible [...] we saw firefighters this morning and they told us that it was on the right track."
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Even if there is no longer a direct threat, access to these villages remains regulated to allow the emergency services to work. The prefecture of Corse-du-Sud recalled several precautionary measures: do not circulate on roads bordering fires, avoid going out and closing shutters, windows and air vents.