Restonica on fire

Those who know the valley know what these words mean. The Restonica consists of granite gorges above Corte, a forest of centuries-old laricio pines, shepherd's huts, mouflons, and a stream with the purest waters in the Mediterranean. A concentrate of all that is most precious in the Corsican mountains.

This summer, in 2026, fire has taken hold there. Hundreds of hectares burned, a crisis plan activated, ground resources deployed tirelessly, and that additional difficulty reported by the island's press: in such a steep massif, where vehicles cannot go everywhere, every hour and every bit of support counts. The intervention there is a battle of titans.

Every hectare that burns up there takes away decades of forest, habitats for mouflons and nuthatches, and soil that will take years to recover. The maquis grows back; the laricio pine forest, however, takes a century to return.

We wrote that Corsica is a mountain in the sea. When the mountain burns, the entire island is wounded. And when women and men head into the fire to defend it, the minimum — the duty — is to stand behind them, without reservation.

The SIS2B, those holding the line

The SIS2B (Fire and Rescue Service of the Cismonte), based in Furiani, is the fire and rescue service of Haute-Corse. Its motto says it all: "To save or to perish."

Behind these four words are thousands of interventions every year, tens of thousands of calls handled, and rescue centers spread throughout the Cismonte territory, from Bastia to the most isolated villages. And above all, there are specialized teams of a remarkable standard, tailored to the island's extreme geography:

• The departmental forest fire commando, paired with water-bombing helicopters, capable of being deployed right up to the flames in inaccessible areas.
• The mountain group (GMSP), for high-altitude rescues.
• The controlled burning and tactical fire teams, who fight fire with fire.
• Specialists in canyon, whitewater, and perilous environment rescue, essential in valleys like the Restonica.

These women and men protect exactly what we talk about article after article in these Notebooks: the forests, the valleys, the villages, the beaches, the living heritage of the island. Without them, nothing we love would last a single summer.

Those who lead and those who head into the fire

Behind an exceptional service is a chain of commitment, from the field to the command. To one and all, we want to express our deepest respect.

Our thoughts and gratitude go first to the field firefighters, both professional and volunteer, who face the flames. And we salute with respect those who lead the institution and coordinate the response:

• Hyacinthe VANNI, President of the Board of Directors of the SIS 2B.
• Colonel Pierre PIERI, Director of the SIS 2B.
• Colonel Christophe DEVAUX, Deputy Director of the SIS 2B.
• Michel PROSIC, Prefect of Haute-Corse, standing alongside the rescue services in crisis management.

Through them, it is an entire institution that we salute — the one that organizes, trains, equips, and protects, so that every intervention is carried out under the best possible conditions. You can find their official messages and instructions on the SIS2B Instagram account (@sis.2b): these are the verified pieces of information that should be followed and shared.

You only measure the value of a rescue service the day everything burns. On those days, the SIS2B is there. So on other days, and on this one more than any other: thank you. From the bottom of our hearts, without limit.

An army of volunteers

What is less well-known: a large proportion of Corsica's firefighters are volunteers. People who have a job, a family, a life, and who take shifts at night, on weekends, in the heart of August when the whole island is on alert. The village baker, the nurse, the canyoning instructor: they are the ones heading into the fire.

The SIS2B is constantly recruiting volunteer firefighters (SPV) and young firefighters (JSP). If you live in Corsica year-round and are looking for a concrete way to serve the island, this is probably the most beautiful way that exists. All information is available at sis2b.corsica.

Safety first: actions that save lives

The truth that firefighters remind us of every summer: the vast majority of fire outbreaks are human-caused. Which means they are preventable. The best way to support the SIS2B is to not add another fire to their summer. Here are the vital rules to know, apply, and share:

• No fires, anywhere, ever during the summer season: no wild barbecues, no camping stoves in the wild, and no burning of plant waste.
• No cigarette butts: not out the car window, not crushed on the ground at the edge of a trail. One butt is enough.
• Respect massif closures: when a massif is closed by prefectural order on high-risk days, do not enter it, even for a short walk.
• Do not park on dry grass: a hot exhaust pipe can be enough to set an embankment on fire.
• Work during hot and windy weather: no angle grinders or brush cutters during dangerous hours.
• Clear brush around homes: it is a legal requirement and the best protection for houses and those who defend them.

If you witness a fire outbreak

• Call 18 or 112 immediately.
• Provide the most precise location possible (municipality, road, notable landmark).
• Take shelter and never block the tracks: they must remain clear for emergency services.

How to help, in concrete terms

Everyone can do something, at their own level:

• Check the official SIS2B website: sis2b.corsica (missions, prevention, recruitment, news).
• Apply and share the prevention tips above. It is the most effective help that exists.
• Relay official messages from the SIS2B (on Instagram: @sis.2b) rather than rumors and unverified images.
• Become a volunteer firefighter, if you live on the island: apply at sis2b.corsica.
• Give thanks: a word, a gesture, a coffee offered to a team coming down from a fire. It costs nothing and goes a long way.

To all those committed to the Restonica fire and on all the island's fronts right now: ti ringraziu di core (thank you from the heart). Corsica knows what it owes you. We do too. And we will always be by your side.

Forza à voi. Curagiu è divuzione.

A DOPU,
TAFA