Nine additional water bomber planes and helicopters will be mobilized in 2023, the government has announced.
More water bombers, more firefighters: the government announced on Tuesday an “unprecedented” strengthening of resources to fight forest fires, after a summer of 2022 marked by major fires.
Nine additional water bomber planes and helicopters will be mobilized in 2023, bringing the number of aircraft from 38 to 47, as well as nearly 500 additional firefighters.
These announcements were made during a trip to the Cazaux air base, in La Teste-de-Buch in Gironde, by several ministers involved in the file: Gérald Darmanin (Interior), Marc Fesneau (Agriculture), Christophe Béchu (Ecological transition) and Dominique Faure (Local authorities).
Four bombers
Gérald Darmanin specified that aerial means would be positioned in this department, as demanded by local elected officials since last summer, after around 30,000 hectares had burned.
In detail, four Air Tractor-type water bombers will be leased from July 1 and positioned in Bordeaux, where a water bomber helicopter will be positioned from June 1 and a Dash from July 1. Finally, two Canadair can be positioned in Gironde 48 hours before a risk signaled by the (new) forest weather forecast.
At the same time, the Minister of the Interior signed a memorandum of understanding with the representatives of the two trade unions for civil security flight personnel.
According to the ministry, this document provides for the creation of specific functions within the aircraft group, in particular in terms of instruction, and a captain’s bonus for aircraft pilots; to upgrade the management and instruction functions within the helicopter group, as well as all the aircrew.
“Dangerous character”
At the initiative of the government, the Senate had recognized “the dangerous nature” of these trades within the framework of a bill adopted last week on the prevention of fires.
Gérald Darmanin finally decorated people who were “particularly mobilized” in the fight against forest fires last year.
Christophe Béchu and Marc Fesneau have signed an agreement allowing the “effective triggering” of a massive reforestation plan announced in the fall by President Emmanuel Macron.
This plan aims to plant a billion trees within ten years, with the help of Ademe and the ONF. “It is neither a slogan nor an announcement effect, it is an ecological imperative to consolidate our public and private forests” in the face of global warming and its consequences, said Christophe Béchu.
