Benjamin Peter (special correspondent to Landiras), edited by Solène Leroux 1:41 p.m., July 18, 2022

Almost a week since the fire ravaged the Gironde.

This Monday announces a very difficult day for firefighters who are fighting two fires.

Inland at Landiras, we fear the worst with very unfavorable weather conditions, and in particular the 44 degrees expected at the height of the day.

The figure to observe this Monday is that of the average temperature in France, the record reached in 2003 and in 2019 was 29.4 degrees.

Temperatures that announce a very difficult day in Gironde where for almost a week, particularly voracious fires have been devouring tens of thousands of hectares of pine forests.

Two fires burned more than 14,000 hectares in total.

1,700 firefighters are mobilized, with four specialized planes.

In Landiras, inland, we fear the worst this Monday with these very unfavorable weather conditions.

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A firefighter explains the rule of three 30s: "Above 30 degrees, 30 km/h wind and with a humidity level below 30%, these are unfavorable conditions."

This Monday in Gironde, all these indicators are panicking, with 44 degrees expected at the height of the day, less than 10% humidity in the air and a wind of more than 40 km / h, even 60 km / h in the evening.

This is a critical scenario, while the latest report shows that 10,000 hectares have already been burned in Landiras.

Objective: no human losses, no material property destroyed

For the sub-prefect of the borough of Langon, Vincent Ferrier, the day will be complicated.

We will still have to hold on.

“We see the fire spreading day after day. It may seem a bit frustrating for the firefighters because there is a lot of effort,” he said at the microphone of Europe 1. “What is difficult, it is that we see lines of support that we create, that we consolidate and which finally do not hold because we have swings of fire”, he laments.

For example, "this night, we have lines that had also been made with the foresters, they did not hold".

The sub-prefect nevertheless wishes to recall the two main objectives of the authorities, “no human losses, no material property destroyed”: “We still achieved this objective last night. It is difficult, but we are achieving them. "

A changing wind

The other added difficulty is that these winds will gradually shift, this time to the east.

Result: 3,500 additional people, spread over three municipalities, will in turn have to evacuate during the day, with always this uncertainty: when will they be able to return home?

Some here have not had access to their homes for six days already.

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Twelve firefighters have been slightly injured since the start of the fires in Gironde, and at least 16,000 people evacuated.

The other fire raging in the region, in La Teste-de-Buch, is also progressing.

The blaze now reaches the ocean and beaches near the Dune du Pilat.