Major Fire Destroys Supermarket in Hourtin, France

A large fire completely destroyed a supermarket in Hourtin, Gironde, France, on Sunday evening. The rapid spread of the flames required a significant response from local fire departments.

Rapid Fire Spread and Extensive Response

Firefighters were alerted to the blaze shortly after 8:30 p.m., responding to a fire affecting an area of approximately 3,000 square meters. Upon arrival, the flames had already spread quickly throughout the building. “We have a fire that progressed extremely quickly within the sales area,” explained Lieutenant-Colonel Laurent Pham, Médoc fire chief Le Journal du Médoc.

At the height of the intervention, 70 firefighters and 15 vehicles were deployed, coming from Lesparre, Soulac, Carcans, Sainte-Hélène, and Mérignac, utilizing an automatic lifting arm from the latter location.

Challenges in Containing the Blaze

Despite the substantial resources deployed, including eight lances and three aerial ladders, firefighters were unable to enter the building due to the rapid structural collapse. “The structure collapsed quickly. We did not have the possibility of going to look for the outbreaks as closely as possible and we had to stay around the perimeter of the enclosure,” Pham stated. The fire was considered extinguished around 7 a.m. Monday morning, although residual fires remained difficult to access under the rubble.

Firefighters also secured 130 butane bottles and 23 CO2 bottles located near the store to prevent further incidents.

Investigation Underway, Possible Arson Suspected

The mayor of Hourtin, Jean-Marc Signoret, expressed shock at the intensity of the fire, noting its rapid development. “The fire station is about a hundred meters away. They arrived very quickly but the fire developed under the hall then inside the building. Once he entered the store, it was over. Everything was flat,” he said.

An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire. While the mayor cautioned against speculation, he indicated that CCTV footage and videos circulating on social media suggest “a group of young people with Molotov cocktails being near the scene.” These elements are currently being investigated.

Pham’s Background

Laurent Pham, the Médoc fire chief, previously served with the Paris fire department. He assumed command of the groupement nord-ouest of the Service départemental d’incendie et de secours de la Gironde (Sdis33) on February 1st, 2023, with a goal of improving operational response LinkedIn and Le Journal du Médoc.