Lanton (France) (AFP) – As the smoke from France's worst wildfire in over 75 years rose over the Bassin d'Arcachon, a pair of nearby firefighters tucked into a plate of oysters plucked from the bay west of Bordeaux.
Issued on: 31/07/2026 - 17:48
4 min Reading time
Accompanied by a spritz of juice from unwaxed lemons cut into zigzag wedges with restaurant precision, their mid-shift seafood spread was far from atypical of the meals prepared for the 3,300-strong fire brigade by a legion of enthusiastic volunteers, in a country that prides itself on its gastronomy."We've got a strong bond with the oyster farmers, hunters and farmers, who are all part of the region's fabric," said Florian Gazeau, a volunteer at a makeshift resting post near the beach resort of Lanton where scores of firefighters were availing themselves of the wide range of delectable scran on offer."If someone has oysters they'll bring them along," added the 32-year-old communications specialist, who had been made redundant as a result of the blaze.A few metres away, his mother Beatrice was busy ladling out and flipping crepes spread from brim to brim with a generous layer of chocolate-hazelnut spread.Besides being a "comfort food" after a hard shift at the front, the snacks also make sure the firefighters have "more strength", she said."Of course, we try to choose local products and we work with local produce, and that's a great thing," the pancake-purveyor told AFP in the wake of the lunchtime rush by her catering van, which she willingly offered up for the food effort."Our terroir is something we truly take pride in."'Go to waste otherwise'With restaurants among the buildings consumed in the wildfire's 42,000-hectare (104,000-acre) ravages, much of the produce on offer comes from local businesses who have been forced to shut as a result of the crisis.
