Fires in France: alongside the volunteers mobilized with the firefighters in the face of the flames
Firefighters and farmers work together to contain a forest fire in Saint-Magne, Gironde, August 12, 2022. REUTERS - STEPHANE MAHE
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
More than 1,500 firefighters are still fighting fires in Gironde and Landes, where 7,400 hectares of pines have gone.
The mobilization is total with fire soldiers from all over Europe.
And to help them, many volunteers are working to put out the outbreaks of fire, under the coordination of the town halls.
This is the case of Philip Gollierre, plumber from Landiras and member of the municipal civil security reserve.
Advertising
Read more
It is noon this Saturday August 13, on a departmental road in the town of Saint-Magne, in Gironde.
In his truck, equipped with a trailer, water tanks and a watering system, Philip Gollierre observes the forest, while
the fires are still raging
in the region.
“
What we have been doing for 48 hours here is extinguishing fires.
We travel the paths given to us.
When we see something critical, we stop, we water, we drown the thing and we continue
, ”he explains to
Grégory Genevrier
, special correspondent for RFI.
Precisely, a few meters ahead, the wind revives a fire.
Philip Gollierre needs a few seconds to light the pumping system before drowning the fire.
“
It's more to protect the roads.
What we have here are flameless covers.
But the fact is that it can spread very quickly, because we are dealing with a typical case of bog.
»
This former soldier is aware that he takes risks: “
Yesterday, we had three really hot moments.
It's true that these flames look like nothing, but when you get closer, you quickly realize the magnitude of things.
»
After a dozen extinguished fires, return to the base to fill the tanks, before leaving.
Like Philip, several dozen volunteers assist the firefighters daily.
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_EN
France
Natural disasters
Climate change