Since July 12, more than 20,000 hectares have been ravaged in Gironde by flames during what some are already calling "fires of the century".
It is also the name given to the man who, in 1949, covered more than 50,000 hectares in Gironde and caused the death of 82 people.
While firefighters are still mobilized against the fires in Gironde, which have already ravaged 20,600 hectares, some firefighters are already qualifying them as "the fire of the century".
73 years ago, this is already how the fire was named, which spread over 52,000 hectares, including 25,000 hectares of wood in the Landes de Gascogne forest.
It all started with a cigarette smoked by a guard in the cabin of a sawmill located in Saucats, a town located south of Bordeaux, about ten kilometers as the crow flies from Landiras where the perimeter of the fire reached today 66 km.
On August 19, 1949, the department suffered from drought and nearly 100,000 hectares of the Landes forest had already gone up in smoke that year.
Strong and swirling winds
It's a new blaze on the front of the fires affecting the region, but it will be the deadliest.
In an article from the newspaper
Combat
, unearthed by the press site of the National Library of France, Retronews, a journalist at the time recounts the helplessness of firefighters in the face of the procrastination of mayors to make decisions.
And, despite a hastily lit backfire, the flames grew in intensity.
"Appalled", the men of the fire could only see him go from peak to peak, trying in vain to put out the fires.
In 1949 in the Landes, more than 50,000 hectares of vegetation went up in smoke in a few days.
82 people die, including 25 young soldiers.
152 houses, farms and sawmills are destroyed.
This is the deadliest forest fire that France has ever known.
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— INA.fr (@Inafr_officiel) August 24, 2021
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And the heavens are against them.
Violent and swirling winds will fan the flames on the side of Barp, then Salles and Mios, traveling on August 20 to 6,000 hectares in twenty minutes.
In this hell, 82 rescuers from all over the world, including soldiers, but also residents and foresters will be trapped and die there.
The small town of Canéjan will lose 26 of its inhabitants, against ten lost in combat during the two world wars.
A day of national mourning for the soldiers who died in the fire
National solidarity, but also international, is organized.
Great Britain lends a hand by sending firefighters to the front and tracked vehicles.
The Paris firefighters participated, as did the 33rd Artillery Regiment from Poitiers, which sent men.
And will pay a heavy price since 25 of them will lose their lives.
A national day of mourning will be organized on August 24 to pay tribute to them.
Even as the criticism of the population is increasing to denounce the lack of means in this fierce fight against the blaze.
Yesterday, like today, it is the head of the government that is targeted.
At the time, Paul Ramadier, Minister of National Defence, will recognize it, “the means implemented were not commensurate with the scourge”.
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