Overview
- A wealthy landowner, Benoît Bartherotte, began cutting pines and building a private pare‑feu at Cap‑Ferret on July 23 to protect his property and later acknowledged he started the work without prior authorization.
- The municipality ordered the work suspended on July 26 and the clearing resumed about two days later after discussions with authorities that reportedly led to retroactive approval by the prefecture following DFCI consultation.
- AC !! Anti‑Corruption lodged a plainte contre X on August 19–20 asking prosecutors to probe possible environmental and forestry offenses and whether public officials permitted or facilitated the continuation of the work.
- Officials separately carried out lawful firebreaks on July 27 as part of a wider response that created roughly 127 kilometres of defensive fire lines across the Gironde department.
- The case raises questions about emergency procedure, use of land owned in part by the municipality and the national forest office, and whether private actors with networks received unequal access to fast‑track approvals.