The Saumos town hall in Gironde, France, has written a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron regarding decisions made following the late July wildfires.
Saumos, France, experienced a fire that burned nearly 3,800 hectares at the end of summer 2022, according to authorities. According to provisional estimates from authorities, a megafire starting on July 22 in Saumos covered 42,000 hectares, leading to the evacuation of 220,000 people in the Gironde department.
Estimated area covered by the July 22 megafire in Saumos
The Saumos town hall requested to be the 'starting point of a collective reflection' rather than a 'laboratory of decisions made in an emergency.' The municipality also requested that national officials and public decision-makers include them in the post-fire responses planned by public authorities.
We are not asking you to decide for us. We are asking you to listen to us before deciding. We are not asking for more standards developed far from the field.
Local concerns and reconstruction visits
The Mayor of Saumos, Didier Chautard, criticized proposals being made in an emergency and without taking the measure of reality on the ground. Chautard requested that Macron 'hear the reminder from nature' and listen to local elected officials.
Chautard expressed concern regarding the prefectural authorization for the construction of a land-based salmon mega-farm in Verdon-sur-Mer, Gironde, due to fragile water resources. Chautard called for a 'collective, demanding and responsible reflection on our territory model' to ensure the area is not 'sacrificed a second time in the name of decisions made without it.'
According to the Prime Minister's office, Sébastien Lecornu is scheduled to visit Gironde, accompanied by several ministers and five members of a mission to pilot the reconstruction of fire-damaged areas. According to the Prime Minister's office, the visit will allow the Prime Minister to speak at length with local elected officials, reconstruction actors, and socio-economic actors of the region.
