What happened before the click... Photographers tell the story behind a special picture. This time: a personal account of the devastating fires in France this summer
Some places become dear to our hearts. We came across ours rather by chance twelve years ago – after our campervan broke down. Ever since, a rustic campsite in the pine forest of Cap Ferret has become part of our summer. On the night of 23 July, our holiday there came to an abrupt and premature end. The day before, a fire had broken out near Saumos, west of Bordeaux. Extreme heat, drought and shifting winds drove the flames towards Lège-Cap-Ferret. In the middle of the night, the police ordered us to evacuate the campsite immediately; we had to leave our belongings behind. To reach the only access road off the peninsula, we first had to drive towards the fire – a rather unsettling prospect.
The photo shows the view from our campervan window on the way to emergency accommodation. Around 42,000 hectares were engulfed by the fire, numerous houses were destroyed and around 220,000 people were temporarily evacuated. What was a frightening night for us was a much more profound upheaval for many of those affected.
Severe fires this summer have also left their mark in regions of Spain and the Balkans where EuroNatur operates. Climate change, with its more frequent heatwaves and droughts, increases the risk of fires getting out of control. Land use also plays a role: if extensive grazing or haymaking is abandoned, more flammable vegetation can accumulate. Monocultures also encourage the spread of fires – such as the vast pine forests that characterise the landscape of the Gironde. To prevent fire disasters of this magnitude in future, we urgently need not only consistent climate action and effective fire management, but also diverse, near-natural landscapes that are better able to cope with drought and the increasing risk of fire.
Antje Henkelmann is project manager for brown bear and wolf conservation at EuroNatur. She enjoys travelling to lonely places where wolves and bears share the same habitat – or, in summer, to the French Atlantic coast. She would like to take photographs more often and improve her skills. This picture was taken at a harrowing moment when there was actually no time for it. Incidentally, the campsite was spared from the blaze, but the destruction all around it is devastating. This photo shows Antje at the campsite after she was able to collect her belongings again a few weeks following the sudden evacuation.