A new forest balance to be invented
Learning lessons from the latest fires, the Département launched a strategic review and strengthened its financial support for the SDIS.
Taking stock of the situation, while praising the action of the firefighters and security forces, Jean-Louis Masson stressed the need to rethink prevention and risk management in depth.
A joint initiative by the préfet, the Région, and the Département has thus resulted in the creation of a dedicated strategic committee and a technical committee. Far from being a mere administrative commission, this new body is intended to embody a change in method.
If it were a 'comité Théodule', I would not participate. There is a real desire to find solutions shared by all local stakeholders.
Agriculture playing the role of a natural firebreak
Forest management is at the heart of concerns. The president calls for moving beyond divisions to build a pragmatic policy, capable of reconciling the preservation of biodiversity with safety imperatives.
Today, we are faced with complicated situations, sometimes with sharp divisions between, on the one hand, a very environmentalist vision, and on the other, a pragmatic vision of preserving our forests against fire. I believe we must find a balance point.
Among the options are the creation of clearings in the massifs and the return of agriculture playing the role of a natural firebreak. These developments require finding 'windows within the framework of European texts'.
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Jean-Louis Masson insists on prevention as the best guarantee for the ecosystem: "The best way to preserve our forests, to preserve our protected species, is indeed to be preventive about fire risks."
Drawing inspiration from the water resource management plan, he launches a new ambition: "We did it for water when we said: we are going to work on Var Eau 2050. [...] Maybe we should also do Var Feu 2050, that's kind of the idea."
The water resource, a crucial and adapted challenge
The water issue during the firefighting highlighted certain vulnerabilities. The 'Var Eau 2050' plan, currently being deployed, will integrate the feedback from this summer.
Adjustments are already being made to better secure the water supply, particularly in the Gros-Besillon and Pontevès areas, where difficulties had been reported. Ensuring a constant and sufficient supply for the firefighters' tanks is a priority undergoing thorough assessment.
The Département, the main funder of the Service départemental d'incendie et de secours (SDIS), reaffirms its budgetary commitment: "The Département provides 63 million per year in aid to the SDIS, which represents over 400 million, around 420 million € for the operation of the SDIS over the 2021-2028 mandate. Faced with the exceptional costs generated by the 18 days of fires this summer (overtime, operating costs), a budget extension will be granted. The Département will be there to cover these expenses and guarantee the SDIS the resources necessary for its missions."
Photo Philippe OLIVIER.