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A tragic fire that erupted early Monday at a holiday cottage in southwestern France, hosting adults with learning disabilities, has resulted in four deaths and four injuries.
Local officials reported that 14 people, aged 20 to 75, including the couple who owned the stone house, were inside when the blaze began before dawn in the village of Montmoreau. Among the guests were eight individuals with learning disabilities and four carers.
Charlotte Parmentier-Lecocq, France’s minister for people with disabilities, confirmed that the victims included one of the owners of the farmhouse and three individuals with disabilities, one of whom was a 60-year-old woman.
Parmentier-Lecocq highlighted the bravery of the owner, stating, “The woman who owned the property entered voluntarily to rescue the people inside and lost her life in the attempt.”
Rescue teams arrived swiftly, but one person evacuated could not be resuscitated and was declared dead from asphyxiation, according to Deputy Prefect Jean-Charles Jobart.
Two more bodies were later discovered in the house’s remains, with a fourth victim found later in the day in the burned-down guesthouse. A fifth person remains missing, presumed to be in the rubble.
The fire, which was brought under control by approximately 85 firefighters late Monday morning, also left four people injured, one of whom was initially in critical condition but is now stable.
The public prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into manslaughter or unintentional injury, with the National Gendarmerie Criminal Research Institute tasked with determining the cause of the blaze.
Deputy prefect Jobart noted that state services had inspected and approved the cottage for welcoming people with disabilities two years prior.
However, Minister Parmentier-Lecocq later clarified that the fire originated in an adjacent building that had not undergone the 2023 inspection.
She added that the organisation arranging the trip was reputable and trained, particularly in fire safety.
This incident tragically follows another blaze nearly two years ago at an unlicensed holiday home in eastern France, which killed 11 people hosting adults with learning disabilities and their companions due to fire safety standard violations.
