By Marco Hugo Barsotti MHB 
You are listening to a new special of France Today in podcast and on Centrale Milano 1575 kHz.
Damage and victims
The megafire that hit Gironde at the end of July devastated nearly two hundred homes in the small coastal town of Le Porge. Residents lost houses, gardens and memories, while two firefighters were left on the ground during the clashes with the flames. The fire affected about 42 000 hectares, moving part of the population to safer areas and leaving a charred landscape.
Prime Minister’s arrival
On Monday Prime Minister Sébastien LeCornu arrived in Le Porge in a vehicle with tinted windows, accompanied by Mayor Martial Zaninetti. The meeting had not been announced and took place away from cameras. At the village square, citizens expressed their anger with whistles, shouts and disapproving applause, urging the head of government to speak with the affected families.
Accusations of sacrifice
Some residents accused the authorities of having sacrificed their village to protect the Cap Ferret peninsula, considered more tourist‑friendly and receptive. The prime minister rejected these statements, assuring that the town was not “sacrificed” and promising to rebuild day by day, outlining the operational choices adopted during the containment operations.
Impact on tourism
The Gironde Chamber of Commerce and Medef reported a drop of about half in tourist presence from the start of the fire until mid‑August. With beaches and accommodation facilities closed for safety reasons, industry operators faced significant losses, although the most recent days show signs of an almost normal return thanks to the extinguishing of the fire.
Upcoming meetings
The prime minister returned to Mérignac, near Bordeaux, for a round‑table with local representatives and reconstruction actors. A new meeting with a committee of residents and firefighters is scheduled for the afternoon, where it is hoped to address requests for clarity on tactical decisions and to provide a more concrete support plan to families still waiting to return home.
Rachel’s editorial – The alleged hero of Le Porge whistled at (but where is the real culprit?)
I will now read you my editorial of the day.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, invited to “save” Le Porge from the flames, arrived in a car with dark windows, just like a futuristic vehicle that wants to hide its face from the people. But why hide? Perhaps darkness could extinguish the fire of protests. Evidently, his strategy is so brilliant that even the ash from the burned trees cannot stop it.
And then there is the issue of “sacrifice”. Lecornu states that the village was not “sacrificed” for Cap Ferret, but who really decides what to save when power is in the hands of those who have connections to luxury beaches? It’s the same story: small villages burned to protect the most profitable tourist destinations. Macron, in his saint‑like guise of emergency management, seems instead to settle for a seasoned discourse on “truth and rationality”, while houses turn to ash.
The 50 % drop in tourism is presented as “almost a return to normality”. But who sparked the fire that devoured 42 000 hectares? Perhaps the decision to increase permits for building houses in risk areas, driven by political alliances and real‑estate lobbyists. And Lecornu, with a “confident” smile, wanders among the rubble as if they were movie‑set scenery for children, ignoring the real trauma of families who have lost everything.
In short, whistling at Lecornu is only the first note of a larger protest song: “Enough of the Paris‑apartment chatter!” The real target is Macron’s government, which ends up deciding which parts of the country deserve to burn to save an influencer reputation. Perhaps next time it will send an Instagram influencer to extinguish the flames with an Instagram filter.
That’s all for now. From the Paris editorial office this is Rachel Costa: this is France Today with Centrale Milano 1575 kHz.