Corporal Laurent Manson, a volunteer firefighter in the Bouches-du-Rhône region, died Monday in a road accident while participating in a preventative operation to fight forest fires. Aged 38, he was alone in a tanker truck when he left the road.
A vehicle went off the road during a refueling mission.
The firefighter was tasked with refueling the forest fire tanker he was driving. The vehicle was part of the preventative measures deployed in the department due to the high risk of wildfires. For reasons still unknown, the truck ran off the road. No other vehicles were reportedly involved in the accident. Laurent Manson was alone in the vehicle at the time. The exact circumstances of the accident are now under investigation. Initial reports do not indicate whether the accident was caused by a mechanical problem, a medical issue, or a loss of vehicle control.
Emergency services were unable to revive him.
Emergency services were quickly dispatched to the scene. Upon arrival, Corporal Laurent Manson was in cardiac arrest. Despite resuscitation efforts and the dedication of the medical teams, the volunteer firefighter could not be saved. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A firefighter from the Saint-Étienne-du-Grès fire station
Laurent Manson was attached to the Saint-Étienne-du-Grès fire and rescue center. He died in the line of duty while participating in the preventative mobilization aimed at protecting the forests and residents of the Bouches-du-Rhône department. These measures are reinforced on days marked by intense heat, particularly dry vegetation, or winds likely to promote the rapid spread of flames. Vehicles and crews are then positioned in the most exposed areas to be able to respond immediately should a fire break out.
An investigation to determine the circumstances of the accident
An investigation will be conducted to reconstruct the precise sequence of events of the accident. The tanker truck may undergo technical examinations to look for any potential malfunctions. Investigators will also need to determine the circumstances under which the vehicle left the road and verify whether the firefighter suffered a medical episode before the accident. The death of Corporal Laurent Manson has plunged the Saint-Étienne-du-Grès fire station and all the firefighters of the Bouches-du-Rhône department into mourning, as they were mobilized throughout the summer to fight forest fires.
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