Politics
In Addition to Firefighting, Volunteers Flock to Gironde to Cut Down Trees and Prevent the Flames From Spreading
News summary
- The extinguishing of the fire is only part of the great work being done to prevent the fire in the Gironde region of France.
- In the forest north-west of Bordeaux, volunteers are working hard to fell trees to prevent the fire from spreading if it moves closer.
- They clear fire lanes between forest areas to stifle the flames' access to fuel.
- Forest worker Kylan Fert and his colleague keep their spirits up as they work.
In addition to firefighting, volunteers flock to Gironde to cut down trees and prevent the flames from spreading. The extinguishing of the fire is only part of the great work being done to prevent the fire in the Gironde region of France. In the forest north-west of Bordeaux, volunteers are working hard to fell trees to prevent the fire from spreading if it moves closer.
They clear fire lanes between forest areas to stifle the flames' access to fuel. Forest worker Kylan Fert and his colleague keep their spirits up as they work. We are here to support as much as we can, so that the fire does not spread, says Kylan Fert (21).
On a daily basis, he is a forest worker, but now he and his colleague use their skills to help with the fire. They try to keep their spirits up during the hard work. There are also many farmers and locals who contribute.
Many villages have already been destroyed, says Fert. There is extremely dry and heavy air in the areas. His job is to ensure a 50 meter distance between two forest areas for three kilometres, using a tractor.
He thinks the fire will soon reach the forest they work in. - It's scary, but we have no choice. We are here now and we must help.
Are you in the area? Or do you know someone who is there? Then I would like to get in touch with you!
Please send me an e-mail. Just two kilometers away, the forest is in full flames. There, firefighter Kamel Dani fights against the superior force to try to stop the flames.
- We encounter many problems in the extinguishing work, he says. Kamel Dani is one of many firefighters who work at Dani is one of many firefighters who work around the clock. Repeatedly they have had to withdraw because it has been too dangerous to stay near the fire over time.
There is an incredible amount of wind, and there is an enormous amount of smoke, he explains. Now they are working to stop the fire around the village of Le Temple. The fire is spreading rapidly on the ground in the Gironde region of south-west France.
The main objective is to prevent the flames from reaching Bordeaux, which is France's sixth largest city. The city and surrounding areas have 1.2 million inhabitants. According to the mayor, an evacuation of the city is currently not necessary, but the emergency apparatus is ready if the situation worsens.
Source: NRK