The Bordeaux region in Southwest France has experienced many fires in the last few weeks that have burned a total of about 50,000 acres (20,000 Ha). Thinking that it will stop future fires, officials are building a large fire break three miles (5 K) long and about 1,000 feet (300 meters) wide.
In parts of the Western United States back in the 1960s building fire breaks was a common practice. Some were only one or two dozer blades wide scraped down to mineral soil, while others were wider. But in later decades firefighters realized that no firebreak is likely to stop a rapidly spreading blaze.
Fires become large most often because they are burning in copious amounts of vegetation (fuel) during strong winds. Under unusually hot, dry, and windy conditions burning embers are lofted into the air. As they are blown downwind they can ignite new fires, “spot fires”, hundreds of feet or even up to a mile away from the main fire. Usually these embers are small, but can be as large as tree branches or even a four-by-eight-foot sheet of plywood, both of which have come close to or even hit air tankers working over the fire.
Under extreme conditions nothing will stop a large fire unless it completely runs out of fuel over a very large area, or the weather changes. A 1,000-foot fire break can stop a slow moving fire, but not a conflagration of the type that wipes out dozens of structures.
Something that cannot be ignored is that removal of all vegetation can result in severe environmental damage.
In the United States land managers are now more prone to build fuel breaks. They do not attempt to remove all vegetation, but only reduce it to the point where it will slow the spread of a fire enough that firefighters, sometimes aided by aircraft dropping water or fire retardant, can safely move in close to the flanks, make a direct attack, anchor the heel, and work their way along the edges and eventually stop the head of the fire. Fuel breaks helped firefighters last year on the Caldor Fire near South Lake Tahoe in California.
The first video below describes the firebreak in France. The next one is an update on the wildfires in the southwest part of the country.
I think we might be thinking this is a moronic project by other than intelligent people. I wondered why is this stupid project happening. Think about it. Are these French that foolish?
Knowing only what I’ve just learned, the land south of this fire break reminds me of Vandenberg AFB on our Pacific but on France’s Atlantic. Well over 40 square miles of land south of this fire break is essentially military. There is an artillery group base on the north end. There appear to be munitions magazines in varying locales. The area incorporates an important test missile launching area. In fact a large area of it is pixilated out by Google Earth because it is France’s primary launch area for test missles/rockets.
Hmmm. Does this bizarre ostensible “fire break” serve a particular government entity (ies) under the guise of resource (wine grapes?), property and human protection? LR
They thought I wuz so dum they put me in intelligence. My conspiracy theory is that everything is a conspiracy, so I don’t believe any of them.
As a baby-boomer I couldn’t help but wonder if their fireline fails “Maginot Line” will appear in the same news. I hope the line holds.
I believe they Germans went around the Maginot line not over it
I remember a fire break of similar width built on the Clear Creek Fire near Salmon in 2000. It was visible from space. It was more of a political fire break than a practical one. Kept the mills supplied for a while.
Follow the money.
Since flame-front fuels are <.5" in diameter the new growth (mainly weeds) will make a nice place for ignitions in the future, giving fires a break that facilitates flashy fuels. As Bill points out, the utility of firebreaks is limited to providing access for suppression forces. It appears that the French foresters might benefit from the US experience. It appears that they believe removing a lot of trees will solve their problem, but they might be creating a bigger one of a different kind. Removing ladder fuels and creating sufficient gaps in closed canopies might be cheaper and more effective, and at least not aggravate it.
Thanks, Marty.
Your welcome.
Note companion article: https://www.mdpi.com/2571-6255/3/1/6
Marty
In this regard Wildfire Today readers may find this recent article of interest: https://www.mdpi.com/2571-6255/5/3/78
Marty Alexander
Wild Rose Fire Behaviour, Leduc County, Alberta