After the fire of August 18, 2024 which ravaged 350 ha on the Gardiole massif between Gigean and Frontignan, the debate on the fight against fire risk is still lively.
The explosive subject of the protection and surveillance of the Gardiole massif arrived at the Villeveyrac Agglomerate council table, without warning. The debate thus arose on Thursday September 26 in the evening, when discussing one of the 48 points on the agenda, concerning the Frontignan swimming pool… go figure. It was Marie-France Britto, an opposition representative in Frontignan, who threw a wrench into the pond, returning to “human negligence” probably at the origin of the fire of August 18 which ravaged the 350 ha massif (including 12 ha of vines) and mobilized 600 firefighters, supported by five canadairs: “The question of the surveillance of the Gardiole by Sète Agglopôle arises because this competence falls to it and that of the maintenance of the firebreaks which have not been as effective as we could have hoped. Gigean’s firebreaks have not been cleaned since 2021! Normally they are every two years. If they had been, perhaps the fire would have spread less quickly.” launched Marie-France Britto to her colleagues, a bit accusatory. That was all it took to reignite the fuse on the means implemented to monitor this forest.
“A pine cone, when it catches fire, it’s a grenade”
Michel Garcia, vice-president, delegate in particular for agricultural and wine-growing activities, sustainable agriculture, management of natural spaces, recalled that the problem of fire prevention depended on the ownership of the plots. “Those which belong to the intercommunality or which it manages are maintained. On the other hand perhaps on the side of the ONF and the State services, there is not the same maintenance implemented. There are private plots where we cannot intervene. It is up to the owner to respect the clearing obligations. Some do it, others do not! The conifers of Gardiole are another constraint: “A pine cone, when it catches fire, it’s a grenade, it explodes more than 50 m away,” continued the elected official. And to point out the non-compliance with prefectural prohibitions: “We will have to do more prevention. The orders are not necessarily readable. When people arrive in front of the panel where there is a prefectural or municipal order in A4, there are few who read it. So we are working to see how to communicate more, make the risk known. On the day of the events, the Gardiole site had been placed on fire red alert by the prefect of Hérault, and therefore access was completely prohibited to the public. “A fire is a disaster but it’s commonplace here, and it may not get better with repeated droughts.”
Towards more repression?
“The management of this massif, which is part of our identity, is complicated”added the mayor of Frontignan, among the municipalities most affected in the disaster with Gigean. Welcoming once again the services of the department (Sdis) and the prefecture “constantly by our side” and the means implemented. “In these moments, it is better to avoid giving lessons,” said, stung, Michel Arrouy, explaining that he had experienced the “pire moment” in 30 years of elective life. He called for joint action in the face of multiple risks: “We discussed it at the conference of mayors. Faced with any type of disaster, there is the risk of fire, but also industrial, that of marine submersion, we will have to prepare collectively. We must be more united in the Thau Basin to face it and that we have solidarity, because we saw it with Saipol, this can impact other municipalities. We must be more vigilant, more prepared, more proactive, for example. example on clearing, cabanization The fire could have gone to Balaruc, Mireval, etc., it was the wind that chose…”. Michel Arrouy is awaiting the results of the investigation which was opened and entrusted to the gendarmerie into the precise causes of the fire.
“There may be things to invent “
Concern and sometimes anger prevail among exposed mayors. Marcel Stoecklin, first city councilor of Gigean, testified to the difficulty facing “uncleared private wastelands”, but also the incivism of certain users “who ride a quad in the tall grass” or who do not respect the barriers to prohibit passage: “There are perhaps things to be invented for better coordination. The Wednesday after the fire, we went to see the damage, the massif was closed by the prefect and we encountered a lot of cyclists and walkers. Apart from the tarmac roads, all the paths were not blocked and it is not possible it is too long. This raises questions, we are currently thinking about it.”
A first idea appeared, suggested by Michel Garcia, municipal councilor of Villeveyrac, the only municipality to have a municipal committee against forest fires, made up of volunteers. “It is perhaps to be developed intercommunally…”
