- A solidarity garden party was held this Saturday in Bordeaux in tribute to Wilfried Schmitter and Anthony Berthôme.
- The two firefighters died on 21 July after being trapped by flames during a forest fire.
- The funds collected will be donated to the Saint-Médard-en-Jalles association to support the victims’ families.
A show of solidarity at the Ornano fire station
Gironde firefighters gathered this Saturday at the Ornano station, located on Cours Anatole-France in Bordeaux, for an evening of solidarity. This event, organised as a convivial « guinguette » garden party, aimed to honour the memory of Wilfried Schmitter and Anthony Berthôme, two officers from the Saint-Médard-en-Jalles station who died in the line of duty. On 21 July, while responding to a forest fire near Mérignac, their water tender became surrounded by fire in a pine plot. Among the first responders dispatched to the scene, the two men were unable to escape the trap of the flames. This festive gathering allowed colleagues and citizens to transform the emotion of mourning into a concrete act of fraternity.
Financial and symbolic support for loved ones
All donations and profits generated during the evening will be passed on to the Saint-Médard-en-Jalles Firefighters’ Association, which will then distribute them to the families of the two men. This initiative follows a series of national marks of recognition, with both firefighters posthumously receiving a citation to the Order of the Nation at the beginning of August. For the station management, this moment of sharing reflects the professional and human commitment of the two victims, while strengthening ties within the profession. The exceptional mobilisation of residents and former firefighters highlights the importance of community support in the face of the risks faced daily by the emergency services.
