Fires: Var firefighters call for systematization of brush clearing

Frédéric Michel (correspondent in Nice) 9:22 a.m., January 24, 2023

Despite the rains of recent weeks, the drought is still strong in the South of France.

Firefighters are worried in anticipation of next summer, especially in the Var and the Alpes-Maritimes.

As a reminder, each owner who lives in the forest or on the edge now has the obligation to clear brush up to 50 meters around his house, a crucial measure to prevent the spread of fires.

If it is not respected, the firefighters reserve the right not to intervene.

>> Find Europe Matin in replay and podcast here

self-protection 

The new rule comes above all to protect the safety of firefighters: "We cannot inconsiderately put our firefighters in the middle of the flames. If a house is not cleared, we will not engage if the population is in safety and evacuated", explains Éric Grohin, general controller of the Var firefighters.

In 2021, during the great fire of Gonfaron in the Var, 80% of the houses destroyed by the fire had not been cleared.

Awareness must be collective: "We have more and more large fires that are out of the ordinary, very fast. We need to be helped by self-protection, that is to say we have to clear brush. Clearing allows accessibility", continues Éric Grohin.

>> READ ALSO - 

Fires: should we review the French firefighting strategy?

"When you take a path that is 2.5m long and our trucks are 2.5m long, if you pass the slightest car everyone gets stuck. When the houses are cleared, we don't need to put a truck behind each house. If we put a truck behind each house, we can no longer attack the fire", he explains at the microphone of Europe 1. The clearing must be carried out before the summer.