A fire that started in a field spread to a house and a farm shed in the commune of Lhoumois, in the Deux-Sèvres department, killing three people. The emergency services were alerted on Tuesday at around 4.10 pm after several fires broke out in a neighbouring field, before the flames quickly spread to the buildings.
Firefighters and the gendarmerie attended the scene to try to bring the blaze under control, which had ravaged around 20 hectares. Two charred and unidentifiable bodies were discovered on Tuesday evening in the rubble of the house. A third body was found on Wednesday morning, according to a source close to the investigation.
Rapid spread through the bocage
The mayor of Lhoumois, Jean Pillot, explained on BFMTV that the fire had broken out near a local road before spreading rapidly through the hedgerows and meadows typical of the region’s bocage landscape. The flames then reached a fodder shed and the neighbouring holiday let.
“Given the heat, they may have closed the shutters,” he said, suggesting that the victims had been unable to escape the flames. According to initial reports, the house was occupied by a couple and their son, who was in his twenties, and who had been living there for three years.
An investigation is currently underway to determine the causes
The National Gendarmerie’s Criminal Research Institute (IRCGN) was dispatched to the scene to carry out an investigation. The inquiry, which has been entrusted to the Parthenay Criminal Investigation Unit, aims to establish the exact circumstances of the tragedy. The victims, who are currently being identified, are believed to be a woman aged around 45, her son in his twenties and her partner in his fifties.
The weather conditions at the time of the incident, as well as any aggravating factors, will be among the lines of inquiry examined by the investigators. The residents of this village of 150 people, situated some 50 kilometres west of Poitiers, have been deeply affected by the scale of the tragedy.
To keep up to date with the latest developments regarding current wildfires in France, please visit our fire map. Keeping an eye on the weather remains key to preventing fires, particularly during periods of drought. Find real-time alerts for the Deux-Sèvres and the other departments on our page dedicated to the fire safety.