After Forest Fire in Gironde, Arès Calls for Greater Say for Municipalities

Arès – 11 August 2026: Following the forest fire in Gironde, the mayor of Arès, Xavier Daney, has called for greater involvement of municipalities in state crisis management. France continues to administer the state in an overly centralized manner, Daney said. Together with his counterpart from Saumos, he is urging the government to listen more closely to local elected representatives when making decisions on protective measures, evacuations and the organization of assistance.

Daney’s argument is based on practical knowledge of the affected areas. Mayors and municipal administrations have information on transport routes, vulnerable residential areas, seasonal visitor flows and residents in particular need of protection. In a forest-fire situation, this knowledge can become important because wind, smoke and road closures can change the risk situation within a short time. The mayor explicitly bases his demand on the experience of the most recent fire.

The fire broke out on 22 July in the Saumos area and spread toward several municipalities in the northern Bassin d’Arcachon. At the end of July, the Gironde departmental council warned of closed roads and cycle paths in an area including Saumos, Le Porge, Lège-Cap-Ferret, Arès and Andernos-les-Bains. Authorities called on the public to avoid the operational area so that emergency services could work without obstruction.

The criticism touches on a fundamental issue in the organization of the French state. In major disasters, the prefecture, as the representative of the central state, coordinates the administrative response; it can order safety requirements, access restrictions and evacuations. Municipalities, meanwhile, provide direct support to residents, arrange accommodation and disseminate information locally. The responsibilities do not conflict with one another, but they require rapid and reliable communication.

The forest fires of recent years have made this division of responsibilities particularly visible in Gironde. In the summer of 2022, nearly 28,900 hectares burned in the department, according to the authorities; Saumos and Arès were also affected. The disaster led to investments in detection technology, weather monitoring and preparations for firefighting operations. However, decisions on access to forest areas, transport routes and precautionary evacuations remain largely tied to the powers of the prefecture.

Daney’s initiative is therefore directed less at the work of emergency services than at the current involvement of the municipal level. In the tourist-oriented coastal municipalities, the number of people present in July and August is significantly higher than the regular population. Local administrations also know which roads quickly become congested under heavy traffic and which buildings are suitable as emergency shelters. In the mayor’s view, this knowledge must be incorporated into state crisis-management decisions at an early stage.