• Several fires have ravaged hectares of moorland this summer in Brittany, particularly in the Monts d'Arrée.

  • The president of the departmental council of Finistère announced that he would recruit lookouts to monitor the moor from the Breton peaks.

  • Better training of firefighters is also planned, in particular to improve the fight against forest fires.

Call them lookouts, watchmen or sentinels.

Next summer, they will be perched on the highest peaks of the Monts d'Arrée to watch for possible outbreaks of fire.

Already under study since the dramatic fires that ravaged the Breton moor this summer, this track was confirmed on Monday by Maël de Calan.

The president of the department of Finistère thus hopes that a possible start of fire can be spotted “in a few minutes and not in a few hours” in this sparsely populated sector of Brittany.

The elected Les Républicains wants these men and women to be perched at the top of Menez Hom (330 meters) and Mont Saint-Michel-de-Brasparts (381 meters), where the chapel was miraculously spared.

“They will be able to welcome visitors and give the alert quickly in the event of a fire starting”, hopes the president of the departmental council.

This presence should take place during the three summer months, when the risk of fire is greatest.

Less than one in two firefighters trained in forest fires

Generally spared from major summer fires, Brittany suffered significant damage this summer, particularly in the Monts d'Arrée, where 2,200 hectares of moorland burned, but also in Brocéliande.

Faced with a severe drought and scorching heat, the region was confronted with major fires.

If they did not make any victim, they revealed some shortcomings, in particular in the training of the helps.

“We must progress in our material and human resources.

In the department, 44% of firefighters are trained in forest fire management.

We must double this number in two years”, assures the prefect Philippe Mahé, who warns: “The fire does not wait.

»

To achieve this, the Breton authorities wish to draw inspiration from the training given to the emergency teams in the south of France.

“There is a culture of forest fire risk there”, judges the prefect.

Improved coordination with farmers is also desired.

Company

Fire in Brittany: In the Monts d'Arrée, it will take a year to restore the burnt site

Company

Fires: Should a reserve of farmers be created to help firefighters against fires?

  • Planet

  • Brest

  • Fire

  • Fire

  • Surveillance

  • Firefighters

  • Drought

  • Heat wave

  • Brittany