Unimog fights fires in southern France

Vehicle & technology

Fire and water.

Every year forest fires sweep through southern France, threatening lives and nature. The emergency fire brigades in the Landes department operate 80 all-terrain Unimogs with special fire fighting equipment, and their fleets include two new U 5023 water tenders with Euro VI engines.


As the red Unimog ploughs through the water-filled ditches on the moors with effortless ease, it produces quite a substantial bow wave. The vehicle is one of two brand new U 5023 trucks equipped with Euro VI engines designed to replace the predecessor models belonging to the fire brigade in Saint-Julien-en-Born, a small town located nearly an hour’s drive north of Biarritz.

A fording ability of up to 80 centimetres is a standard feature on the new all-terrain Unimog; in optimal conditions, the U 5023 can even manage 1.20 metres. However, to the fire brigade in the department of Landes, the vehicle’s biggest advantage is not the fact that it moves easily through water. With 687 000 hectares of pine forests, this region in the southwest of France is more likely to be affected by fire than flooding. Every year from February to October, the inhabitants and the natural surroundings in France’s 40th department are threatened by devastating forest fires. Combating these blazes is the responsibility of the country’s Service départemental d’incendie et de secours – SDIS40 for short. In light of the extreme risk of forest fires, the prefect and the president of the supervisory board of the SDIS40 have no qualms in investing in the best fire fighting equipment. To a significant extent, this includes the Unimog 4000 and 5000 series of trucks.

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