British couple’s ‘sheer panic’ after escaping south-west France wildfires

A British couple have spoken of their panic after being told to evacuate their home amid wildfires in south-west France this week. 

Brian Ashworth and his wife were among at least 12,000 people told to leave their properties across the Pyrénées-Orientales region as a ‘giant’ fire spread nearby.

He and his wife raced to collect up their 13 cats and dog to flee their home in the Oms commune after receiving an email at 19:00 on Sunday, July 5, from the village authorities telling them they had to leave.  

Their reaction was “sheer panic,” Mr Ashworth told The Connexion. “Our concern was to get the cats out and find somewhere for them.”

His experience comes after a series of unprecedented heatwaves combined with strong winds and dry ground have led to multiple wildfires across France. 

Described as 'giant' in multiple French media reports of the blaze, the largest fire in Pyrénées-Orientales has spread over 4,900 hectares and remains active. 

The department's prefect, Pierre Regnault de la Mothe, said on Thursday, July 9, that "the situation is improving" and that more of the evacuated residents would be able to return to their homes in the early evening, reports FranceInfo. 

Wildfire threat ongoing

At the same time, 72 departments across France have now been placed under heightened heatwave alert increasing the threat of wildfires, and with several communes and departments cancelling firework plans for July 14 celebrations because of the ongoing fire risk.   

As wildfires rage in the southern France region, experts have weighed in on the reality on the ground and how best to protect yourself. 

The importance of brush clearing

Many properties in France are subject to the Obligation Légale de Débroussaillement, or OLD, which requires homeowners to clear and maintain the vegetation around their property. This brush clearing requirement is mandatory in certain departments (you can check which areas here) and applies to properties within or less than 200m away from a high-risk forest, heathland or shrubland.  

Rémi Savazzi, head of the national Forest Fire Prevention unit at the National Forestry Office (Office National des Forêts), told The Connexion that mandatory brush clearing is vital to protecting your home. 

“We've heard a lot of people say, after major fires, ‘I'm glad they nagged me to clear my brush,’” Mr Savazzi said. 

His team has even heard homeowners credit the measure with protecting their house from burning down during a fire in their region. 

Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Flamant of the Loiret department’s fire and rescue services said that this measure also protects fire crews. 

“Dispersing the fire - that is, reducing the fuel load, such as by using less wood, for example - means there is less heat output, which will protect the firefighters on the scene,” he said. “But it will also prevent the fire from spreading to the buildings they are trying to protect.”

French authorities recommend doing the heavy work of brush clearing in the autumn and winter. They recommend spring as the best time for cleaning gutters, taking wood chips to the recycling centre, storing away wood and fuel, and cutting back new grass. 

While brush clearing is mandated by national law, individual prefectures set the specific rules in each department. Mr Savazzi advised checking with your individual prefecture for the right decree. 

In general, the process involves cutting tree branches touching your house, cutting branches too close together, removing shrubs under trees, mowing grass, cutting shrubs, pruning lower branches and trimming hedges.  

'We can’t thank them enough'

Just after the evacuation notice, worried for the pets, the Ashworths ended up going to their emergency veterinarian who took in the animals and put up the couple as well. 

“We can’t thank them enough,” Mr Ashworth said. 

They then received an email from the town hall saying everyone in the village had been evacuated in a few hours. After three nights away from home, Mr Ashworth received an email on Wednesday morning saying they could return. Luckily, their home was not damaged. 

“We’re a little nervous now when emails come in, thinking ‘Oh heavens are we going to have to do this again?’” he said. 

As fires rage around the country, Mr Savazzi stressed the importance of preventative measures. Nine out of ten homes destroyed by wildfires in France were not properly brush cleared, according to the Ministry of Ecological Transition. 

“It’s a lack of education, and there are many measures being taken to raise public awareness about this issue,” Mr Savazzi said. 

While obligatory brush clearing is a long-term, preventative solution, it is not the only response authorities recommend. 

Other preventative measures

Lt Col Flamant said throwing cigarette butts on the ground, having barbecues in the forest, parking your car on dry grass, and using tools that create sparks can all contribute to the problem. It is also forbidden to carry fire into the forest or light it once there. 

Another note: avoid storing combustible materials along the side of your house, and regularly clean your gutters of dead leaves, Lt Col Flamant said.  

“It's really important that each and every one of us truly understand this responsibility - for the well-being of everyone - but also for the environment, the forest, everything that we want to protect,” he said.