Forest fires and wildfires

Ground clearing means reducing the density of plants and creating gaps in the vegetation growing between:

• Cover vegetation (grasses and scrub) and taller plants (bushes and trees);
• Plants of the same size;
• Vegetation and buildings.

Creating gaps reduces the fire risk and, if a fire does occur, slows down its spread and lowers its intensity. The residents of certain regions have an obligation to keep their properties clear. This is governed by official vegetation clearing rules. Hence, property owners are required to clear vegetation within 50 metres of their buildings and installations (house, garden shed, swimming pool, etc.). In some cases, by decision of the mayor or prefect, this distance is increased to 100 metres. Besides your own garden, this may also concern any undeveloped plots belonging to your neighbours, if these are within 50 metres of your buildings. In this event, the neighbours are under obligation to allow you access to their land. Refusal makes them legally liable and they will then be required to pay for any vegetation clearing operations carried out. To answer any questions you may have on this topic, ONF has put together an FAQ page (frequently asked questions).

Vegetation-clearing measures are mandatory in identified fire-risk areas. This is essential in order to:

• prevent fires from starting: 90% of fires are caused by humans. When the vegetation is dry, the slightest spark can cause a fire;
• protect your home and its occupants: in the event of a fire, it is then possible and even recommended to take shelter indoors, unless instructed otherwise by the authorities. Staying inside for 10 to 15 minutes may be enough to allow the fire to pass;
• secure fire brigade access and facilitate their intervention;
• protect the forest and the environment: besides limiting the spread of fire, the reduction of vegetation can also help to preserve a diversity of species. Indeed, once cleared, the soil benefits from more daylight which, among other advantages, encourages the creation of green corridors and feeding zones for various wildlife species such as bats and certain birds of prey.

Vegetation should be cleared every year. It is recommended to cut tree branches and prune shrubs in the winter if possible. Cover plants, on the other hand, can be dealt with towards the end of spring. Vegetation clearing is compatible with biodiversity, especially when your calendar of operations takes into consideration the degree of vulnerability of the zones to be cleared. It may be necessary to call upon a professional, who has the knowledge and tools required, especially if you’re clearing for the first time.

In the event that vegetation clearing rules are not observed, you expose yourself to a fine (ranging from a fixed amount of €135 to a rate of €30 per uncleared square metre), as well as formal notice with a penalty charge, an appeal filed by the mayor (the local council has the work done and sends the invoice to the owner), and a demand to pay an excess charge in the event of an insurance claim. Besides these legal proceedings, it is quite simply dangerous to leave a plot uncleared and vulnerable to fire. This puts the buildings and their occupants at risk. On land that has been cleared of vegetation, a house is much less likely to burn down.

This biodegradable waste can be shredded, buried, added to your own compost bin, or taken to your local recycling centre. Enquire at your town hall about the handling of garden waste by the local council or council community.

2022 was a year that made history for several reasons:

• a drought of exceptionally long duration;
• a combination of generally high temperatures and heatwave periods that make it the hottest year on record for Météo-France;
• forest fires that were impressive in number, intensity and the extent of the surface area left devastated, as well as the fact that they affected regions rarely concerned by such events, including Brittany, Jura, Anjou and the Centre region of France.

In all, 72,000 hectares of natural spaces were destroyed by the fires of 2022 (6 times more than average).

After the lessons learnt that summer, the President of France announced a plan of action aiming to:

• Improve fire prevention measures: the means available to ONF (national forestry office) and Météo-France (national meteorological service) have been reinforced for the 2023-2024 period; a communication campaign on the legal obligation of clearing vegetation has been announced; a map indicating the different areas’ degree of vulnerability to forest fires is to be produced;
• Strengthen the means available to fire and rescue services in terms of both equipment and human resources;
• Replant the forest with a view to its sustainable management, and implement a reforestation plan: the 10-year targets of the national forest replanting project have been announced, with the planting of a billion trees by 2030.

The forest plays a major role in the fight against climate change (carbon trapping, replacement of fossil fuels and high-energy materials, etc.) and in the protection of biodiversity. To accentuate the carbon-sink effect of the forest, from this year the French government is funding the reconstitution of those forests impacted by the fires: 150 million euros are being made available for 2023. This aid to owners of both public and private forestland is part of a wider scheme to support the renewal and adaptation of forests in the face of climate change. It reflects the French President’s expressed determination to have a billion trees planted and to renew 10 per cent of the nation’s forest within ten years. The aim is to improve, adapt, regenerate or reconstitute our tree populations. Tree populations affected by the forest fires will be eligible. This reforestation aid will be managed by ADEME (French environmental agency). It is planned to introduce stronger environmental criteria to encourage more mixing of varieties and a wider diversity of trees, and to protect zones of ecological interest.

Last October, the President of France announced, among other items, the creation of a forest weather report in the aim of keeping the population better informed in fire-risk areas. Météo-France will begin broadcasting this new information to indicate the level of fire risk in mainland France and Corsica, from 1 June 2023. The information will be based on the forecasts of several meteorological parameters that greatly impact the likelihood of fires starting and the speed at which they spread: rainfall, humidity, temperature, wind force and the extent of dryness of the vegetation. The daily forest weather report will be available at the end of each afternoon on the website meteofrance.com and via the Météo-France mobile app for the two days ahead. It will take the form of two maps, one for the following day, the other for the day after that). The level of fire risk will be indicated for each French department, with 4 colour-coded levels: green for low risk, yellow for moderate risk, orange for high risk, and red for extreme risk. The forest weather report will not give details of ongoing fires or those to come.

According to Météo-France, 2022 is the hottest year on record for France. The winter of 2022-2023 appears to confirm this trend with a higher-than-normal average temperature and lack of rainfall. Even at the end of February 2023, several French departments were declared to be in a state of drought vigilance and increased alert. The vegetation is therefore even more vulnerable and the fire risk aggravated. Even the tiniest spark can have disastrous consequences.