Question 17196 — security of property and people

Summary

Mr. Aurélien Dutremble draws the attention of the Minister of the Interior to the need to sustainably strengthen the resources of the departmental fire and rescue services (SDIS). The summer of 2026 is marked by fires of exceptional scale. Thousands of hectares were ravaged in several French departments, notably in Aude, Bouches-du-Rhône, Savoie as well as in the Fontainebleau forest, mobilizing for several days of thousands of firefighters in particularly trying conditions. These events confirm that forest fires are now a national challenge. Saône-et-Loire is no longer immune to this development. As of June 23, 2026, the prefecture placed the entire department at severe risk of forest fires due to drought, heatwaves and the state of the vegetation. A few days later, several Fires broke out in particular in Guerreaux, near Digoin, then in La Guiche. According to the SDIS of Saône-et-Loire, more than 200 hectares had already been covered by flames between June 21 and July 8, 2026, after 287 interventions linked to the fires. This permanent mobilization was unfortunately accompanied by tragedy. On July 8, 2026, Corporal Baptiste Gerfaud-Valentin, a 22-year-old volunteer firefighter, died in intervention in Planay, in Savoie, while fighting a vegetation fire. This death is a strong reminder that firefighters risk their lives daily to protect those of the French and that their commitment is definitely not a job like any other. France today has 258,641 firefighters, including 200,961 volunteers, who carried out nearly 4.9 million interventions in 2025. In Saône-et-Loire, the SDIS has carried out 36,016 interventions, including 2,878 fires, illustrating ever more sustained operational activity. However, as risks increase, the SDIS financing model is now reaching its limits. Although they participate in a sovereign civil security mission, their financing rests mainly on local authorities, with the departments providing nearly 57% of their resources and the municipalities and intercommunalities around 40%, while direct State participation remains limited. This situation places an increasing burden on communities even as the need for investment, equipment and staff continues to increase. Current events show that no savings can be made on emergency services. As interventions multiply and risks increase, firefighters must be able to have human, material and financial resources commensurate with their missions. He asks what measures the Government intends to take to guarantee long-term funding for departmental fire and rescue services and sustainably strengthen the means available to firefighters to ensure the protection of the French.

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