French PM Lecornu announces €12m wildfire aid for Gironde and Landes
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French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announces €12 million in aid for the Gironde and Landes regions after wildfires destroyed 183 homes in Le Porge. About 200 residents heckled him during the visit, with fire victims saying riot police blocked access and vowing to file complaints. The announcement came as wildfires continued to spread in Belgium and Greece, with two deaths reported near Athens.
Key Facts
- Lecornu said €10 million of the aid package will go to Gironde and €2 million to Landes, with building permits for equivalent reconstruction to be issued within a month.
- The European Union deployed assistance to Belgium and Spain.
- Belgian authorities said Monday the Hautes Fagnes fire spread overnight but remained limited due to more favourable winds and rainfall, with air support from the Netherlands, Germany, Norway and Sweden expected.
- Greece's fire service said 41 forest fires broke out in the past 24 hours, with three still being dealt with.
- Residents' group organiser Ludivine Daurignac accused the prime minister of not wanting to meet them, while Lecornu's office said it has 'nothing to hide' about fire operations.
Aid Package for Gironde and Landes
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said €10 million of the €12 million package would go to Gironde and €2 million to Landes. He said the funds would allow local authorities to 'launch projects without delay' and build 'a sort of recovery plan'. Lecornu also announced building permits for the 'equivalent reconstruction' of homes destroyed by the fires would be issued within a month, or even quicker. The European Union deployed assistance to Belgium and Spain.
Residents' Anger in Le Porge
About 200 people gathered at the town hall in Le Porge, south-western France, on Monday, where 183 homes burned down. Ludivine Daurignac, organiser of the residents' group, said residents plan to file complaints to get 'truth, transparency, and justice' and claimed they were blocked from meeting the prime minister. She said: 'We were met by lines of riot police blocking our access.' Another local told France's BFM outlet: 'We would like to know why the fire was managed this way. Why all the firefighters who were on site left to defend the tip of Ferret, while only the volunteer firefighters remained.' The organiser accused the prime minister of not wanting to meet them, while Lecornu's office said it has 'nothing to hide' about how fire operations were conducted.
Wildfires Across Belgium and Greece
Firefighters in Belgium spent a fourth day beating back flames in Hautes Fagnes, the country's largest nature reserve. Belgian authorities said on Monday the fire had continued to spread during the night but remained limited due to 'more favourable winds and rainfall'. The statement added that two police helicopters and several air support resources from the Netherlands, Germany, Norway and Sweden were expected to assist teams on the ground. Greece's fire service said on Monday that 41 forest fires had broken out in the past 24 hours, of which three were continuing to be dealt with. Two people died and hundreds were evacuated after two fires broke out 'almost simultaneously' on Salamina island near Athens on Sunday afternoon, officials said.
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French PM Lecornu announces €12m wildfire aid for Gironde and Landes
