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Standing together against the flames: when Saur colleagues answered the call

This summer, Europe once again faced the growing reality of climate extremes. Across France, Portugal, Spain and other regions of the continent, prolonged heatwaves and drought conditions created the perfect conditions for major wildfires. As thousands of firefighters battled the flames, another story unfolded behind the scenes: the story of Saur employees who left their desks and worksites to help protect communities, natural environments and critical infrastructure. Some were volunteer firefighters already serving their local emergency services.
Others mobilized Saur equipment, vehicles and operational expertise to support firefighting efforts on the ground.
Together, they turned commitment into action.
10.09.2026

Answering the call when the fires were at their worst

When wildfires swept through Gironde (France), Saur employees serving as volunteer firefighters joined colleagues from across France to reinforce the emergency response.
Mobilized in Mérignac to fight the fires, Valentin Dufour, a plant operator at Saur, was able to make himself available thanks to five days granted by the company. For him, the mission was an opportunity to fully live out his commitment as a volunteer firefighter alongside the many colleagues who had also come as reinforcements.

“This summer, I had the opportunity to take part in the operations to fight the fires in Gironde. It was an intense, human and particularly memorable experience, which allowed me to fully live out my commitment as a volunteer firefighter alongside many colleagues who had come as reinforcements”.
– Valentin Dufour

Steeve Salvadori, a Network management Officer and volunteer firefighter since 2018, was also mobilized as part of the wildfire reinforcements in Gironde and Aix-en-Provence. Over the course of one week, he participated in firefighting missions and helped protect threatened areas, sometimes in difficult conditions and for long hours.

“This week of reinforcement duty in Gironde and Aix-en-Provence will remain a profound experience for me, both on a personal and operational level. It allowed me to continue growing, to learn from the experiences of other firefighters, and, above all, to contribute, in my own way, to protecting people, property, and our environment”.
– Steeve Salvadori

In Portugal, forty hours of continuous effort tested every limit

The wildfire crisis extended well beyond France. In Portugal, Cândido Santos, from Saur’s Portuguese entity called Aquapor, was mobilized near Tondela, where severe fires required direct firefighting and continued water supply operations. For around 40 hours, he worked alongside the emergency teams in particularly difficult conditions. The steep terrain, intense heat, and strong winds made the fire’s behavior difficult to predict.

"During that time, the nights felt like days. The sky was lit up by the flames, the intense heat, the high temperatures, and the strong wind made every moment unpredictable. The fire advanced rapidly, changed direction, and forced us to remain constantly alert. "
Cândido Santos

In Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, solidarity extended beyond regional borders

Responding to major wildfires often requires firefighters to reinforce teams far beyond their usual areas of intervention.
In Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (France), Jérémy Neugnot and Nicolas Barre were among the Saur volunteer firefighters mobilized this summer to support operations in the most affected areas. Their experiences illustrate both the importance of mutual assistance between territories and the crucial role played by volunteer firefighters during major emergencies.
“Thanks to the agreement signed by Saur France and the SDIS 13, I was able to be in the Var department to help my colleagues from the SDIS 83.”
Jérémy Neugnot, the agreement between Saur and the local fire and rescue services made it possible to reinforce colleagues on the ground when they needed support most.

“I’m glad to be part of a company that recognizes that, unfortunately, we have to make up for a severe shortage of professional firefighters.”

 

Nicolas Barre, the experience also highlights the broader role that volunteer firefighters play in supporting emergency services.

In Fontainebleau, they protected the places they know by heart

The fires that struck the Fontainebleau area (France) hit particularly close to home for Saur employees who live and work across the territory.
Bruno Brin has worked for Saur in the Nemours area for 32 years and has served as a volunteer firefighter for 42 years. During the fires, he helped evacuate residents and protect homes in the village of Le Vaudoué as the flames approached.
"Many homes in the village of Le Vaudoué were threatened by the flames. First, we evacuated the residents of the street assigned to me, which was not without difficulty. We then positioned ourselves to protect the houses, supported by fire engines from a neighboring department. We could see the fire coming towards us, several metres high and about a hundred metres from our position. "
Bruno Brin

Alongside Saur’s volunteer firefighters, four Saur Services hydro-cleaning operators used their vehicles to supply the firefighters with water. Among them was Julien Joanny, a former firefighter who immediately volunteered to help his former colleagues, this time through his professional role.

" This experience gave me a different perspective on the fire. My role was to help by filling my truck with water and then transferring it into the firefighters’ truck. This experience also allowed me to see the chain of command, with the different officers managing several sectors. I could never have imagined that such a connection could exist between hydro-cleaning operations and firefighters. "
Julien Joanny

Their stories are a powerful reminder that resilience is not only about infrastructure. It is also about people.

To all the colleagues who volunteered their time, expertise and even life, whether as volunteer firefighters or by providing operational support on the ground, thank you. Faced with increasingly severe climate-related emergencies, you demonstrated what solidarity, responsibility, and public service mean in practice.

You make the entire Saur group proud.