Gironde: 200-meter firebreak carved in three days saves Porge-Océan

To save Porge-Océan, bulldozers carved a 200-meter firebreak in three days; evacuated tourists returned Wednesday to intact homes, though the mayor says the state must pay. The firebreak was cut by bulldozers razing pine plots while residents were away. Thousands of hectares of Porge forest burned and 183 houses were destroyed, yet evacuees found their abandoned belongings safe. The fire raged July 22–31, accelerating July 24 to 1,000 hectares per hour. Mayor Martial Zaninetti prioritized saving La Jenny and Camping La Grigne. Dozens of WWII shells were also discovered.