Immense flames that lick the beaches to the ocean. The situation deteriorated further on Sunday evening in the Teste-de-Buch sector, near the Bassin d’Arcachon. The fire crossed the symbolic barrier of departmental road 218 to reach the coast. According to a new report from the prefecture of Gironde this Monday morning, 4,200 hectares have already gone up in smoke in this sector, ravaging the perimeter of 9 km by 8 km Pleasure boating has also just been banned on the western part of Lake Cazaux-Sanguinet.
The damage is even greater on the front of the Landiras fire, south-east of Bordeaux where 9,800 hectares have so far burned, i.e. a perimeter of 14 km by 9 km and where new evacuations could be decided this Monday.
“360° winds”
“The night was difficult but we held on overall. The surfaces have evolved but in measured proportions, given the conditions, ”said Lieutenant-Colonel Arnaud Mendousse of the Gironde Departmental Fire and Rescue Service (Sdis 33) on Monday morning. These “conditions” – a new scorching day where the mercury could rise to 40°C and “360° winds” – prompted Gérald Darmanin to reinforce the means: three new planes were sent to Gironde, carrying the fleet to nine aircraft and more than 200 additional firefighters were engaged Sunday evening with 11 heavy trucks.
A total of 1,700 firefighters fought the two Girondin fires. Some 16,000 residents or vacationers have been evacuated since last Tuesday. Fortunately, no casualties were reported.