According to him, this evolution will quickly lead us to new phenomena. “”We could quite face, in the years to come, with fires similar to those seen in southern Europe. For the moment, we still tend to look at that from afar, and fortunately, we do not yet have the magnitude of the Mediterranean lights. But we are clearly not prepared for this kind of scenario“, He says.
Marseille fire: “Fire is in very clear regression”
In Belgium, two areas are particularly concerned: the high Fagnes, and the campine, where there are many conifers, more sensitive to fire. “”Regarding the most exposed areas in Belgium, two things must be distinguished: the places where the conditions are conducive to fires, and those where the fires really declare themselvesnevertheless specifies Sébastien Doutreloup. Fire does not start on its own: you need a trigger, often linked to human activity. I studied a short fire that occurred on a hectare in Manhay-Dreze: the conditions were met, with dry and light soil, unfavorable weather … But the fire started next to a parking lot. Voluntarily or not, it was human activity that sparked it.“
The first challenge, in the years to come, is to be able to anticipate these phenomena. “”I had a doctoral student who worked on forest fires until last year, but had to stop for budgetary reasons. Today, I put students on the subject, volunteering, to relaunch research, because there is a lot to do. We cannot just copy the models of the south of France: the Belgian context is very different. We need studies adapted to our territory. But for that, we need means. Political decision -makers expect results, but cut budgets. It is not coherent. You have to stay logical“He regrets.
The other challenge is obviously material and human, as Philippe Filleul explains to us, vice-president of the National Bureau of Belgian Firemen (BBSPB). This first involves training. “”We are in particular inspired by France or Greece, which has a long experience in the management of forest fires. Specific training is provided according to a system on several levels, of level 1 (base) at level 5 (strategic coordination). In Belgium, some officers have already been trained in France at level 4, and an officer of Liège should be trained at level 5 in 2025“He explains to us.
At the material level, “The areas invest in suitable equipment: all-terrain 4×4 trucks, 4000-liter tanks, specific equipment. On the other hand, Belgian firefighters do not have its own air means. For this, they rely on the helicopters of the federal police or on partnerships with private operators. Projects are underway with the interior SPF to strengthen this air capacity“, He recalls.
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Other innovative tracks are also to be taken into account. “”I recently attended an international conference where Los Angeles firefighters shared their experience. There, entire cities have been ravaged. They develop strategies on building materials, vegetation management, surveillance by fixed cameras and artificial intelligence, capable of detecting the slightest smoketells us Philippe Filleul. These are tracks that could be adapted in the long term. In Belgium, we build differently, but the question of managing forest areas close to the homes will arise. Tools like the European Copernicus system, which monitors territories via satellites, can also help us.“
