Fire service in Gironde commemorates two colleagues killed in Mérignac

Mérignac – 31.07.2026: The fire service in Gironde observed a minute of silence for two emergency responders who died on July 21 while fighting a major vegetation fire near Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport. The tribute was for Anthony Berthôme and Wilfried Schmitter, two professional firefighters with the SDIS 33 fire and rescue service.

The two 34-year-olds were assigned to the Saint-Médard-en-Jalles fire station. According to the information confirmed so far, their fire engine entered an area of the blaze where the flames spread rapidly during the operation. Neither man could be saved. The fire broke out on the afternoon of July 21 in the immediate vicinity of the airport.

The minute of silence followed several public and internal tributes. In the days after the tragedy, colleagues and local residents gathered in Saint-Médard-en-Jalles. Fire services from other French departments expressed their condolences to the families, SDIS 33 personnel and the deceased men’s colleagues.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez had proposed a national memorial service for the families after the tragedy. During a visit to Gironde, he met with relatives and firefighters. According to the information available at the time, the planned tribute is to be visible both in Gironde and at prefectures and fire stations across the country. No date has yet been announced for the ceremony.

The fire near Mérignac occurred during a period of exceptionally high wildfire risk in southwestern France. In Gironde, numerous emergency responders, soldiers and security authorities were working to contain fires and protect threatened areas. The deaths of the two firefighters affected teams that had already been operating under intense pressure for days.

Vegetation fires near airports pose particular challenges for incident commanders. In addition to directly fighting the fire, they must secure access routes, consider possible effects on air traffic and protect people in neighboring areas. How the situation was assessed in detail on July 21 is the subject of the ongoing investigation.

The Bordeaux public prosecutor’s office opened an investigation into the cause and course of the fire. Investigators are also examining why the flames were able to spread so quickly in that section of the operation and how the two men’s vehicle became trapped. No confirmed information on the cause of the fire is yet available. The investigation is also intended to clarify the precise circumstances in which Berthôme and Schmitter died during the operation.

With the minute of silence, SDIS 33 placed the two deceased men at the forefront as colleagues and members of a regionally rooted rescue organization. Their names remain closely linked to the July 21 operation, whose course is now being investigated by the public prosecutor’s office in Bordeaux.