Anti-corruption group files complaint over unauthorized firebreak during Gironde megafire

The anti-corruption association AC !! has filed a complaint seeking an investigation into the circumstances surrounding an unauthorized firebreak created by a businessman during the recent megafire in Gironde. The complaint targets the actions of Benoît Bartherotte, president of the Association for the Defense of the Cap-Ferret Peninsula (ADPCF), who on July 23 began clearing hundreds of meters of pine trees to establish a firebreak.

This initiative occurred as the fire, which ultimately ravaged 42,000 hectares, approached the town of Lège-Cap-Ferret. Thousands of residents were evacuated from the area due to the advancing flames. Bartherotte, 79, acknowledged his proactive approach, stating he was "taking action" due to the "urgency" and claimed to have used his connections, including reaching out to Brigitte Macron, to secure subsequent authorization for his work.

AC !!'s complaint highlights that the firebreak construction began on land partly owned by the municipality and the National Forestry Office (ONF) without prior authorization. The association notes that Bartherotte's work was initially suspended on July 26 at the town hall's request but resumed two days later following discussions with authorities. The association is calling for an inquiry into potential environmental and forestry infractions and the exact conditions under which public authorities may have permitted or facilitated the continuation of the project.

Locally, Jean-Pierre Steiner, a former police commissioner and AC !! member, described Bartherotte as having "monstrous audacity." Steiner criticized the businessman for prioritizing his own property over nature and for pressuring authorities to approve work that lacked "any prior coordination." A larger, legally established firebreak was created by authorities on July 27 further north on the peninsula.

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À travers son association, il a d'abord protégé sa propriété, pas la nature. Il s'est exempté du respect des règles et a ensuite tordu le bras des autorités pour faire autoriser un ouvrage réalisé «sans aucune coordination en amont».