Drought and fire?

[kulich]

Just wondering how drought and fires are affecting the areas surrounding the French caminos. Thinking not only of pellegrino safety, but also taxing resources in the places we visit. We were planning on completing the last half of the Chemin St Jaques in September but have reluctance based on the climate, covid and the unfun part of airline travel from Canada to Europe; what is it like on the ground at the moment?

 

[mspath]

Here is an article from Ouest-France.fr with a map and discussion of the 7 major wild fires currently burning in France tonight, August 10, 2022.

 

[Mournes]

Kulich
Latest news reports from France indicate fires burning in the Gironde ,south of Bordeaux and Les Landes.This is on the Chemin de Tours .People are being evacuated from their homes.You can read these reports on the internet via Reuters ,a reliable news source.

 

[kulich]

Yes, thanks - I see SE Averyon is threatened. I know from the wild fires we experience that it is possible to get around fires and other large events ... and there is a month yet before we'd consider coming over by which time things will be different. I do think about the local view of tourism in these times of water shortages and heat events. I don't want to be one of those who blithely carry on. Lord knows we see amazing things happen here as people head towards Tofino and the west coast.

 

[Amy Davies]

Just wondering how drought and fires are affecting the areas surrounding the French caminos. Thinking not only of pellegrino safety, but also taxing resources in the places we visit. We were planning on completing the last half of the Chemin St Jaques in September but have reluctance based on the climate, covid and the unfun part of airline travel from Canada to Europe; what is it like on the ground at the moment?

My husbands on the chemin at the moment. Depending on where he is, the temperatures are between 30-38. From what the locals are saying, these temperatures are normal for this time of year. However what isn't normal is the length of time they've been having this heat, nor the complete lack of rain. There is apparently going to be a storm at the weekend though, which will hopefully break the hot spell. There aren't any fires in this region of France right now (and fingers crossed it stays that way! )

 

[kulich]

Thanks for that reply - it looks like it is possible to do this trip. I wish your husband well walking in the heat.

 

[JabbaPapa]

In my experience with walking in active fire areas, on my 2005 mainly through the South of France, I'd say that basic precautions if you're close enough to smell smoke (the smell can travel quite far), sleep in places with multiple exit routes, and if you can't walk through an actual fire area from risk or a Police barricade, walk around it, and downwind, that is to say where the wind is blowing towards the fire not from its direction.

Otherwise, conditions during the heatwaves this year in Spain and Portugal have mainly forced heat management stuff, and well, active fire zones are typically not that large in comparison to the length of a Camino, though clearly there can be exceptions. I've not come closer than about 50K to any active fire on this Camino.

It will obviously be more difficult where a Camino passes through a semi-wilderness fire area, as plan B options avoiding the risk might be thin on the ground.

 

[danielle aird]

Thanks for that reply - it looks like it is possible to do this trip. I wish your husband well walking in the heat.

Just wondering how drought and fires are affecting the areas surrounding the French caminos. Thinking not only of pellegrino safety, but also taxing resources in the places we visit. We were planning on completing the last half of the Chemin St Jaques in September but have reluctance based on the climate, covid and the unfun part of airline travel from Canada to Europe; what is it like on the ground at the moment?

Not a great time to plan travelling to France at the moment. I follow the French news on TV5 daily. Today the fires are so bad that they have firemen and equipment coming from neighbouring countries to help. I would wait to see how the weather turns out by the end of August. They have had incredibly hot weather.

 

[kulich]

OK - good advice. We don't have a timeline and can wait till next Spring if need be. Heart goes out to people suffering in temperature extremes.

 

[Albertagirl]

I have my flight booked to Lyon for Sept 8 and shall not be planning to cancel or revise my booking unless the fire situation seems very bad in the region of the Podiensis shortly before my departure date. As my return flight is from Madrid, I might be able to persuade Air Canada to let me change my flight to France for a safer location if there is one.