Faced with the pile of debris that constitutes the warehouse that housed her company, Ophélie Robert can only see the damage. His company Provence Décapage occupied the 600 m² workshop, alongside three other self-employed people. Monday, December 9, around 6:40 p.m., while Ophélie was the last on site, a fire broke out. “It took in the room next to mine. I called the fire brigade immediately but it spread quickly.“, she explains.
Despite the intervention of firefighters, the findings were serious: the building was completely destroyed and the roof had partly collapsed. If she was able to save, with the help of the firefighters, “some machines that were on casters“, Ophélie Robert “lost a lot of equipment“The other entrepreneurs were not further spared.
Thibaut Gaillard, carpenter and Adrien Auphand, carpenter, each lost “machines for cutting wood“, says the second.
In addition to their machines, contractors also lost equipment they had ordered for customers. “Part of my stock of wood is gone, which has an impact on the projects I had at the moment“, explains Adrien Auphand, founder of Horizon bois.
Momentum of solidarity
If the losses are considerable for entrepreneurs, they can count on the solidarity of lower Alpine residents as well as the local economic sector. After the disaster, the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Business Union launched an appeal to businesses in the department. And it bore fruit, assures Ophélie Robert: “We had quite a few proposals from companies, and they responded to the call.“
Adrien Auphand shares this opinion. Anyone who has also lost personal effects, temporarily stored at their workplace, is the subject of a Leetchi pot, open for their benefit. The manager of the multi-material stripping company, for her part, refused: “Instead, I suggested vouchers to DIY stores, so people would know where the donations were going.“
Mélissa Rome and her company MR3D is one of the respondents to the call. “I donated computer equipment to the Projets bois and Provence Décapage companies.“, she explains, touched by the situation of the couple of entrepreneurs she knows personally: “It's a terrible situation to lose everything. The call for solidarity brings balm to the heart.“
“We can’t wait for insurance to reimburse us”
Before being able to use the donations they have received, it is time for administrative procedures for the victims. “The file is big so it takes time, but I have a good relationship with my insurance“, says Adrien Auphand. Ophélie Robert, and her companion Thibaut Gaillard, have already found premises in La Brillanne and hope “be able to resume in January“. She is working on her compensation case for her clients' damaged property as well as her machines.
While being aware that, for the latter, it will be difficult to replace everything: “When we started, we bought second-hand machines that didn't have a very high value. If we have to buy them new today, it's several thousand euros“, she assures.
Generally, insurance companies reimburse victims once they have purchased the equipment. They must therefore have sufficient cash flow to advance the costs. “We cannot wait for insurance to reimburse us to resume activity“, explains Thibault Gaillard, whose insurance offers him a deposit of €3,000. Not enough to allow him to buy back all the equipment from his company Projets bois.
The entrepreneur is still looking for “power equipment“. He is also launching an appeal to businesses but also to vocational high schools in the region: “If there are those who have functional machines which are reformed, because they no longer meet National Education standards, and who plan to get rid of them, I am interested.“The needs of entrepreneurs and their contact details are available on the UDE 04 website and Facebook page.
