Forest Fires Force Evacuation at French Training Center

The training center of La Teste de Buch, southwest of Bordeaux, France, has been evacuated as 1,700 firefighters from across the country continue to battle forest fires that have ravaged the Gironde region for eight days.

The decision was made between officials and trainers mid-afternoon July 18 that the flames had encroached sufficiently close to begin moving, with strings dispersed to other centers at Bordeaux, Langon, and even Pau 2 1/2 hours to the south.

Multiple group 1-winning trainer Christophe Ferland was among those to be on the move. He reported minimal disruption in the circumstances, tweeting a video of his horses heading out to exercise at Bordeaux Le Bouscat racecourse July 19.

"In the end we had no choice because the fires were producing toxic fumes," Ferland said. "The entire string has been vanned up to the racecourse at Bordeaux, and we were able to work normally this morning."

Nos chevaux s’entraînent ce matin normalement !!!! Encore merci à @Hippodromebdx #solidarite pic.twitter.com/S1bJEGibKG

— CH Ferland Racing (@teamchferland) July 19, 2022

With approximately 370 horses based at La Teste, the operation required cooperation from a number of unexpected quarters, with Spanish horse transporters driving across the border to help out.

"We've had help from all over," Ferland said. "There is a transport company from San Sebastian (northern Spain) which came to our aid along with STPH Hipavia, and Loic Durain's show-jumping yard in Bordeaux, they also pitched in. As of this morning there has been no damage to my yard, but I have no idea when we'll be allowed to go back."

The training center at La Teste is based around the racecourse, which is being used as a base for police and firefighters.

Two fires in the region have consumed approximately 17,000 hectares (42,007 acres) of forest and other vegetation, with more than 5,000 hectares (12,355 acres) alone burnt out in the immediate vicinity of La Teste.

On Monday, nine planes were active over the area in dropping water, while Marc Vermeulen, the regional director of fire and safety, told the newspaper Le Monde that his officers had witnessed "40-year-old pine trees bursting into flame."

On Tuesday morning, the emergency services were racing to complete a 40-meter firebreak along a five-kilometer front in an attempt to halt the advancing flames.

The decision to evacuate was taken when the 37-mph winds changed direction on Monday. While the region continued to experience temperatures as high as 40C (104F) on Tuesday, the locus of the heat wave was due to move further east as the day progressed.