In the Hérault forest firefighters' truck, we see the fire before everyone else

In less than ten minutes, the Hérault forest firefighters can intervene on a fire. Midi Libre – Théo Laroche

In the scrubland they know like the back of their hand, the patrollers spot the first smoke of fire. Midi Libre – Théo Laroche

Every day in the summer, the Hérault forest firefighters crisscross the scrubland of the Béziers hinterland on the lookout for fires. Immersion with the Laurens patrol, for whom the hot season is the moment of truth in a year of struggle.

Laurens shines under the thousand lights of the 10:30 sun. The eye needs a handful of seconds to distinguish, in the dim light of the village barracks, three men leaning over their sturdy black shoes that they are vigorously polishing. “We don't do it every day, only when there's Midi Libre“, one of them says with a hearty laugh. “Forester-sapper, it's a bit of a shadow job. In the articles, we always talk about the firefighters but never about us", continues Philippe Gomez, head of the Laurens group, made up of seven patrollers.

However, the 105 forest firefighters of the Hérault Department control 90% of the fires starting in 200,000 hectares of scrubland, woods and forests. Each of the 40 patrols monitors an “island”, delimited according to the relief and its accessibility. Scholarly, this territorial division has only one objective: to intervene in less than ten minutes, whatever the position of the patrol in the islet.

50 years in the shadow of the scrubland

In Philippe Gomez's narrow office, among the many maps of the hinterland and holiday schedules that adorn the walls all the way to the door, a photo stands out. Dated 1980, it shows the first patrol group in Laurens. Here, as elsewhere in the department, the little-known forest firefighters have been keeping a close eye on things for 50 years. While many things have changed since then, starting with the latest truck, the patrols between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. are timeless.

In the barracks, the two patrollers of the day are getting equipped, checking their equipment, and tying their shoes. In the back of the bright yellow patrol truck, a reserve of 2,000 liters of water and 60 meters of on-board hoses. A loudspeaker spits out radio frequencies emitted by other colleagues in the field.

Diagnosis of the day? Tenth day without rain and the wind has dropped. Less risk, therefore, but more heat. A grueling temperature. “It's a physical job. When you come home in the evening, you're dead“, says Marc Bilouès. He has been a patrolman for 30 years.

“It's almost like logging”

It's eleven o'clock. Clément Mourichon and Clément Lentini climb into the vehicle. The first Clément gets behind the large steering wheel, then sets off on the road he knows by heart. “When you spot smoke that indicates a fire, you quickly estimate where it's coming from and you know how to get there”, he assures over the radio frequencies.

Their island, the forest firefighters crisscross it all year round. Because their fight against forest fires is almost a strategic fight, made of prevention. Outside of summer, they are hard at work clearing, cleaning, pruning. In short, making access to the first flames easier for the firefighters. “It's almost logging“, says Clément Mourichon. Which explains, according to Romain Gontier, head of the western Hérault region for the Department, the low representation of women in the teams (only two women work in this profession compared to 103 men).

In the summer, in addition to intervening as soon as the fire starts, they alert the firefighters who take over in about fifteen minutes. Sometimes, the forest firefighters manage to put out the fire by themselves.

“You shouldn't do this job when you're thinking or impatient”

On a high relief, Clément Mourichon parks the truck. From here, they have visibility over a large part of the island and thus spot the first smoke. They often stand there, watch, then leave. Clément Lentini goes out to smoke a cigarette. “What is difficult in this job is waiting. You shouldn't do it when you are thinking or impatient.” Thus, this duo has not intervened for two years. For them, a fire outbreak activates the day, “takes two hours off the long patrol”, concedes Clément Lentini. And above all, "it reactivates the automatisms that can be lost over time", adds Clément Mourichon.

At all times, be on the alert

In the middle of July, no major fires have yet broken out this season. The abundant rains of the last few months have prevented the vegetation from drying out. “Everything is out of sync, I feel like summer started two weeks ago“, says Clément Mourichon.

In 2022, Hérault forest firefighters carried out 217 interventions on forest fires. Despite the spring rains, the patrol remains on the alert and also continues its prevention mission, in particular by distributing leaflets. Because  "90% of fires are of human origin", recalls Romain Gontier.

105 forest firefighters at work in the department

The 105 forest firefighters of the Hérault Department control 90% of the fires starting in 200,000 hectares of scrubland, woods and forests thanks to their surveillance mission. For clearing, pruning, cleaning operations, etc., they are divided into 15 groups of 6 to 8 territorial forest firefighters, at hard at work 10 months out of 12 to maintain the DFCI (Forest Fire Defense) equipment spread across the 9 forest areas of Hérault, i.e. the 17 watchtowers, 3,091 km of trails, 231 water tanks and barriers. During the summer, their support action for the Sdis (Departmental Fire and Rescue Service) allows for rapid and coordinated intervention on forest fires. The service has existed for 50 years within the Department of Hérault.

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