What we know on Saturday evening of the fire in the Canjuers military camp which ravaged 600 hectares

Military maneuvers and a fire from a machine, west of the Canjuers camp, would be at the origin, this Saturday, of the biggest fire that the Var has known at this stage, unfortunately still early, of the season. .. Starting at 9:15 a.m. from inside the camp, the disaster first affected brushwood, over one hectare, before gaining momentum as the day progressed. Indeed, the starting zone of the fire being polluted by ammunition of all types, including shells, no intervention was possible, which was confirmed at the end of the morning by Sdis 83 (departmental fire and rescue service), little worried. “Firefighters from the military camp are monitoring the fire which should not leave the perimeter.” At this stage, the use of aerial means was also prohibited: “A shrapnel has already reached the wings of an aircraft during a previous intervention…” But in the afternoon, pushed by the wind, the fire grew, and even split in two, threatening to break out of the camp. So the fire department was called in. Four groups, that is to say a hundred men, reinforced by the air contest of five Canadair and Dash were dispatched on the spot. About fifty rescuers from the UIISC7 (civil security training and intervention unit no. 7) from Brignoles also joined the system. Limited spread Two groups of firefighters from neighboring departments (06 and 04) joined them, making a total of about three hundred firefighters (including the group of military firefighters from Canjuers) fighting against the spread flames in the afternoon The aerial noria, multiplying the round trips to the very close lake of Sainte-Croix, allied to the terrestrial means “made it possible to strongly limit the spread on the front of the fire”, observed the Sdis early Saturday evening. The actions were then concentrated to also limit the spread on the flanks. The Sdis then estimated that 600 hectares had been covered by the flames, “an area difficult to assess in view of the impacted red zone where it is not possible to access”. But still inside the perimeter of the camp. While the light was declining this Saturday evening in the Haut Var, the efforts of the firefighters remained sustained, and there was great hope that the disaster would then be quickly contained… A tough night of struggle, solely on land, against the occasions was however already announced for the 300 firefighters. While the risk is well known to the entire population, the origin of this fire aroused, on Saturday, some incomprehension, even indignation.