"It is very likely that we are saving the village of Cazaux," says Patrick Davet, the mayor of La Teste-de-Buch. His town has been at the forefront of a blaze that has devastated more than 3,000 hectares of forest and destroyed "three dwellings" according to the sub-prefect Ronan Leaustic, who adds that "a hundred dwellings have been saved by the tremendous action of the firefighters". IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES