A fire broke out on Tuesday, July 19, around 9 p.m., at a hunting reserve in the town of Boussès. Several fire outbreaks were observed. More than 80 firefighters were hired to fight the fire. In the middle of the night and at midnight, the toll of 15 acres increased with smoke.
A fire broke out on Tuesday, July 19, around 9 pm in the town of Boussés, located on the borders of the departments of Lot-et-Garonne and Landes. The fire took over a hunting reserve in an area called “Landes de Lastachoueres” and bordered the department road 665 towards Mont-de-Marsan.
Soon, a large fire brigade was deployed to the scene of the fire located in the forest of Landes de Gascogne. Within minutes, nearly forty firefighters, from barracks in Lavardac, Casteljaloux, Nérac, Mézin or even in Houeilles, were deployed to fight the flames.
Many fires started
To our information, several fire outbreaks have been observed in that hunting reserve. In five different locations there was a “bad start” condition given the current conditions.
At 11 p.m., the facility continued to increase power with the arrival of other reinforcements from barracks in Aiguillon, Tonneins, Clairac, Damazan and even Agen.
A large fire was deployed in the area.
A command center was set up near the fire and was headed by Commander Laurent Rougeot. “About 80 personnel were involved in this fire,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Patrick Le Gallenq, who was dispatched from SDIS to Foulayronnes, at the end of the night.
After an initial assessment at night covering eight acres, another point, after midnight, established the damage to about fifteen acres destroyed by the fire. “Four of the fires were healed but the fight continued with another that continued to spread”, continued the man in charge of the emergency device. Most of the fire eruptions are within the forest. Another overflows the edge of the vast forest and borders RD 665.
Reinforcements from Landes and Gers
To put all opportunities on their side and the impossibility of requesting air reinforcement (due to aeronautical night), reinforcements were also requested from the departments of Landes and Gers who also joined Boussés for participating in this mobilization. .
A drone pilot was also called to the scene. Lieutenant Christophe Capy arrived on the scene to measure the extent of the fire. “An important support especially at night and if you face multiple simultaneous departures”, Commander Laurent Rougeot specified.
The use of a drone with its thermal camera makes it possible to measure the extent of damage and to provide initial responses to fire outbreaks.
A device recently installed within the Departmental Fire and Rescue Service of Lot-et-Garonne. Equipped with a thermal camera, the drone can provide details of “fire attacks”. The purpose is to “deal immediately with any fires that arise”
No evacuation
The initial reconnaissance of the area makes it possible to get the dog to the owner of the hunting reserve that is in the area.
In the middle of the night, firefighters continued to fight the blaze. The soldiers multiplied trips back to the nearby water point to fill the trucks and get back to the front as quickly as possible.
A pungent odor became more persistent and a great deal of smoke, rising from the forest, spread across the sky of Albret, torn by lightning.
No one was reported injured. There are no residences within the affected area.
At the scene, the mayor of Boussès and other elected officials were informed of the progress of the situation. “We notify the nearest residents,” he said around midnight. Worried, some residents came to ask for news from the command post.
Cut the roads
The D665 road was cut off from traffic between Durance and Boussès, allowing the circulation of the many fire engines that flooded the site. The road connecting Houeillès to Durance was also closed to traffic. Several soldiers from the Lot-et-Garonne group were deployed during the night.
Shortly after midnight, the situation was considered “more favorable with weak winds of 4 km / h and humidity of almost 60%”. Even if anecdotal the rains are invited into the night. But it is necessary to be careful of the stronger winds that are expected at night.
An important tool was put in place.
As for the causes of this fire, the lightning strike seems privileged. In the Boussès sector, thunder roared in the late afternoon. At the very least, many witnesses spoke of these stormy eruptions in the middle of the night. A risk added “of the lightning effect without rain” was mentioned by Météo France when it put, this Tuesday morning, Lot-et-Garonne on orange watch for thunderstorms.