Montmoreau tragedy in Charente: “The lessons of the Wintzenheim fire have not been learned”

A fire caused the death of eleven people in a holiday cottage in Alsace in 2023. The new tragedy in Montmoreau in Charente reawakens the pain of associations committed to the inclusion of people with disabilities.

On August 9, 2023, eleven people, ten with intellectual disabilities and a companion, died in a fire at a gîte in Wintzenheim in the Haut-Rhin department. The flames destroyed a renovated barn that had neither been registered nor met standards. Twenty-eight people were on site when the fire broke out. Those staying on the ground floor were able to escape, but most of the residents upstairs died. This is the highest death toll recorded in France in a fire since the one at a bar in Rouen in 2016.

This tragedy highlighted the organizational and control flaws in organized adapted vacations. Four of the Alsatian victims were cared for by AEIM 54, an association committed to the inclusion and well-being of people with intellectual disabilities. The Charente tragedy brings back very bad memories for President Denis Renaud, who has been supporting the victims' families and survivors for two years.

How did you react when you learned of the deaths of several disabled holidaymakers in Charente?

It's absolute terror. An emotion I thought was buried suddenly resurfaced. My thoughts go out to the victims, their families, the caregivers, and the survivors. It's been almost two years since the Wintzenheim tragedy. I'm angry. Because I feel like the lessons haven't been learned. I alerted Prime Minister Élisabeth Born and her Minister for Disability, Fadila Khattabi. A list of establishments offering adapted stays was supposed to be drawn up, and the legislation changed. Unfortunately, the promises made at the time have not been kept. I'm angry.

For what ?

Our association welcomes 3,000 people with disabilities. We are subject to strict safety regulations. Why should these rules be any different at holiday resorts?

Our association welcomes 3,000 people with disabilities. We are subject to strict safety regulations. Why should these rules be different at holiday resorts?

The sub-prefect of Charente confirmed that everything was in order both on the part of the organizer of the stay and the owners of the gîte, the building hosting fewer than twelve residents.

This is an aberration. Do the technical inspection criteria for a car change depending on the number of passengers? Is a driver driving alone allowed to have bald tires and defective brakes? The requirements should be the same for small and large buildings.

How was the tragedy digested in Alsace following the Wintzenheim fire?

The victims' families are obviously devastated. So are the survivors. The fire is a tragedy. I hope they won't see the images of the devastated building in Charente. It will bring back memories.

What is the status of the investigation into the fire of August 9, 2023?

The investigation is not over. No date has been set for the end of the investigation. The owner of the lodge has been placed under judicial supervision. But this case is far from over.