"The flames rose high above the burning building. It was amazing. It was amazing to see the ashes fall all over the city. We had to quickly manage all the people who arrived to witness the fire. Florent Fatin (the mayor of Pauillac) will have spent the night with the firefighters and police to watch the fire evolve. It will not have caused any material damage. The deputy of Medoc Benoit SIMIAN joined him shortly after. The situation could have been worse if it wasn't for the quick arrival of emergency help.
Contacted by Sud Ouest, the director of the establishment stated that "everything went well for residents." It was not necessary to evacuate for safety. We were only observers of the events. This same retirement home was not affected by the power outage caused by the fire. It has a generator.
Some residents were forced to evacuate their homes in the area near the disaster. There were narrow streets and small buildings that were very close together. One person, aged 82 years, was moved to a neighbor's home for the night. There were no injuries.
The 300m2 building that caught on fire was used for storage. We have information that 12 boxes were rented out to individuals. Another mechanic just moved in. Two cars were also destroyed in the fire.
With around 30 men, the firefighters from Saint-Laurent, Lesparre, and Pauillac intervened. To contain the flames on the roof, two large ladders were set up with four lances. Mayor praised the quick and efficient response of emergency services.
The municipality issued a danger order to protect the area surrounding the burning building. The walls and roof are at risk of collapsing. The mayor stated that an expert will be required to travel to the area on Wednesday, June 1, to assess the situation, and make a decision about whether to demolish.
An investigation by the police is under way. This will allow us to determine the criminal or accidental cause of the disaster.
