Fire prevention starts with clearing the undergrowth. This is emphasized by the French Ministry of Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion in an awareness campaign directed at the population. The campaign, in which the Fédération Nationale de l’Hôtellerie de Plein Air (FNHPA) is a partner, emphasizes the need to cut trees and shrubs closest to buildings and to clear the ground of dry grass, scrub, and small branches susceptible to catch fire, which are often the cause of large and dangerous forest fires that are difficult to contain.
The reminder is, therefore, for a careful maintenance of the land, which becomes a legal obligation in areas particularly exposed to the risk of forest fires (defined by prefectures) and applies to those who own buildings or equipment located within 200 meters of woods, forests, heaths, and patches of vegetation. Owners are responsible for the maintenance of their land, and if they do not comply with legal obligations, they may be subject to sanctions.
Fires becoming more frequent due to climate change
Autumn and winter, it is reminded, are the best times to clear the undergrowth from the land and around buildings. The goal of these cutting and cleaning interventions is to reduce the mass of vegetation in an area of 50 meters (100 meters in some cases) around buildings to create a safety zone capable of stopping, or at least slowing down, the advance of a fire. In the case of a campground, it involves clearing the undergrowth in an area of 50-100 metersaround the campground itself.
The preventive activities implemented today, emphasizes FNHPA, are more crucial than ever to protect against future risks of forest fires, unfortunately, becoming increasingly frequent and widespread nationwide due to climate change. While the fire risk previously mainly affected the Mediterranean regions of France, today, the rise in temperatures exposes much of the French territory to this risk, as seen with the disastrous fires in the summer of 2022.
