During the night of October 28-29, 2026, at 3 AM, a fire started at the intersection of Rue Saint James and Rue des Fontaines in Bergerac. The blaze ravaged over 600 m2 of building, impacting a site considered a jewel of the city's heritage.
As of Friday, October 30, at 6 PM, the fire is extinguished, though firefighters are monitoring for flare-ups and remain mobilized on the site throughout the weekend. Site security measures included the demolition of threatened buildings starting at 12 PM today, with demolition and extraction work to continue from Monday, November 2, morning.
Regarding utilities, 200 homes have had their gas supply restored today, and the remaining 140 are expected to be reconnected starting Saturday afternoon. Enedis has restored electricity to parts of Rue Saint James (even side) and Rue des Fontaines (odd side) and continues to work on reconnecting the remaining homes.
The security perimeter has been reduced starting this Friday evening. The following businesses will be open on Saturday, October 31: O NIRVANA DES PERLES (28 RUE DES FONTAINES), AU PETIT CORENTIN (31 RUE DES FONTAINES), LE TEMPS DU VIN (27-29 RUE DES FONTAINES), and QUAI 24 (24 RUE SAINT JAMES).
At the update on Thursday, October 29, at 12 PM, the fire caused no human casualties. Approximately thirty people were evacuated from their homes and accommodated at the Town Hall, where a crisis unit was established. The City and the SPA have also made arrangements for the care of evacuated pets.
Firefighters and security services were still working to contain the fire on three sides, with a risk of collapse of the burned buildings. Electricity had been restored to part of the area, while 340 people were without gas, with GRDF intervening for restoration.
The city's priority is to support the affected residents. The Mayor, present on site since 3:30 AM, convened a crisis cell and activated the Communal Safeguard Plan (PCS) at 11 AM. The mobilization of around fifty firefighters from across the department and security services was commended for their professionalism.
