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Fire

Steve Maskery

Steve Maskery

Old Oak
Joined
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87290 Laplagne, France
We woke up this morning to the smell of smoke inside the house. Looking out of the window, the air is blue-grey.

We have friends staying with us the last two nights, on their way down to Bordeaux for a family holiday with their kids and grand-children who were due to land at Bordeaux airport this afternoon. But there are wildfires around Bordeaux and the airport is closed. The smoke we have here is from that area, 3000 hectares of land on fire, 100 homes destroyed, 22,000 people evacuated. 3 firefighters killed.

I'm not sure what our friends are going to do. Probably stay with us another night and then turn around and go home. Some 70th birthday celebration.

The only half-good thing about all this is that the fire itself is a long way from us, we are just getting the smoke.

S
 
Having seen all the fires across europe on the news I was going to ask the question knowing you are now living in France and are you safe or can see the fires.

Look after yourself and just enjoy your 70th.
 
Well compared to the loss of life and homes you haven’t got much to complain about really.
Your 70th Steve? Nice having friends to stay and this way you have them a bit longer.
Happy Birthday!
 
Hope the fire is put out very soon!!!
It’s very subduing when you see it and see the aftermath.
Two weeks ago on a Thursday I left the home I was building a library in and saw the start of a fire, got home and the client messaged to say the hole area was evacuated, I was a little concerned as all my tools were on site.
Thankfully no lives were lost and only 2 homes burnt down, the fire was extinguished after the second day.
I went back to site on the Monday, driving through parts what was once a lush green golf resort and now looked like no man’s land dotted with white mansions.
I was told the irrigation systems in the grounds generally help save the property’s.
I saw a really sad photo from the aftermath, what looked like a hungry baby deer in the black no man’s land looking through the fence into the millionaires lush manicured grounds……
 
Steve Maskery said:
We woke up this morning to the smell of smoke inside the house. Looking out of the window, the air is blue-grey.

We have friends staying with us the last two nights, on their way down to Bordeaux for a family holiday with their kids and grand-children who were due to land at Bordeaux airport this afternoon. But there are wildfires around Bordeaux and the airport is closed. The smoke we have here is from that area, 3000 hectares of land on fire, 100 homes destroyed, 22,000 people evacuated. 3 firefighters killed.

I'm not sure what our friends are going to do. Probably stay with us another night and then turn around and go home. Some 70th birthday celebration.

The only half-good thing about all this is that the fire itself is a long way from us, we are just getting the smoke.

S
Click to expand...
The Today programme this morning was interviewing an American woman who was on holiday with her two children. Turns out she was an ideal Darwin Award candidate as, although she knew the fire was possibly coming towards where the were staying, decided to go to sleep with her ear plugs in. Woke up to find the place evacuated.

Fingers crossed for any of our members who are affected by the fires.
 
Just an update - They left here about 4.30. Their families' flights were delayed, but did actually take off.. Here we had conflicting reports about the status of Bordeaux airport. The Maire said it was closed, the Minster for the interior said it was open. But the local town around the airport was evacuated and people were even fleeing on boats. Roads gridlocked.
So our friends have gone straight to their B&B and the kids will have to make their own way to somewhere - anywhere - out of Bordeaux where they can be picked up either later tonight or tomorrow.
If you've seen any footage you'll see just how scary it is.
S
 
RogerS said:
The Today programme this morning was interviewing an American woman who was on holiday with her two children. Turns out she was an ideal Darwin Award candidate as, although she knew the fire was possibly coming towards where the were staying, decided to go to sleep with her ear plugs in. Woke up to find the place evacuated.

Fingers crossed for any of our members who are affected by the fires.
Click to expand...
I heard that. Un-be-flipping-lievable.
 
Well the air is clear again. We had a brief downpour on, I think Sunday, but it was just 20 mins or so, we need days of it. The last few days have been rather more temperate, nothing higher than 33C , but the heat is set to return. 39 expected tomorrow. We have more friends arriving Saturday.

The fire news has rather dropped off the headlines, I don't think that means it is all over. The hotels at Bordeaux airport are all closed and they are making plans to evacuate the entire city. Yesterday the fire was just 9km away from "the gates of Bordeaux". If they do evacuate it will be the biggest movement of people in peacetime Europe. Goodness knows where they will all go.

The other point that is starting to be discussed is the cost of all this. Like in the UK, the public services in France are running on fumes. How is all this going to be paid for? But that is for tomorrow. The issue today is one of damage limitation.

S
 
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