Fire in France

Hundreds of homes near the French city of Marseille were evacuated this week because of forest fires. The flames quickly spread over an area five miles wide and nearly 200 firemen were called out to fight the blaze. These sorts of fires do happen in the summer, particularly in areas ravaged by environmentalists who refuse to allow responsible conservation (cf. California). But in this case, it was just people acting stupidly. Specifically, and perhaps unsurprisingly, it was the French military, which Marseille council members, with typical French politeness, called “imbeciles.” The elite Foreign Legion was conducting an exercise involving tracer rounds, which contain a flammable substance to make them visible in flight. As one might expect, tracer rounds in a dry forest plus 90 degree temperatures and a strong wind equals a forest fire. The UK Mail Online concluded its report by deadpanning, “The French Army has had one of the worst military reputations in the world since capitulating to the Germans at the start of World War II.” That’s putting it mildly. Apparently, though, the French military learned an important lesson: Setting fire to a French city is a sure way to achieve victory. Still one question remains: In a battle between the French and the French, does anyone really win?

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