The firefighters and foresters were thus able to continue their work of “protection of sensitive points” in particular thanks to the creation and consolidation of firebreaks, -long strips of razed earth-, and the wetting or drowning of vegetation.
“There is no longer a wall of flame which progresses under the effect of the wind and creates swings of fire”, explained to the press one of the spokespersons for the firefighters, Lieutenant-Colonel Arnaud Mendousse. However, there remain “hot spots” which can cause resumption of fire.
Despite a slight rise in temperatures, “today’s day should look like yesterday,” said Arnaud Mendousse. The fires are still not fixed, and will “probably not be today”, he said, referring to “contained fires”.
On Wednesday, the approximately 2,000 firefighters engaged had succeeded in preventing the progression of the fires thanks to more favorable weather, with lower temperatures and more humid air.
The prefecture had nevertheless warned in a press release that the nearly 36,750 evacuees could not yet return to their homes. “All the security conditions for considering (their) return have not yet been met. The system will be reassessed on a daily basis, and the reintegration of the populations will be carried out sector by sector depending on the situation.”
Visiting the two fire sites on Wednesday, in La Teste-de-Buch, in the Arcachon basin, then in Landiras, 40 km south of Bordeaux, Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to all those mobilized against the fires .
He also promised a “big national project” to rebuild the forest. He also acknowledged the need for more air resources to fight fires, while stressing that the 22 planes available to civil protection were “sufficient in recent years”.
