6 actions to prevent and protect against forest fires

In France, 9 out of 10 fire starts are of human origin. The year 2022 unfortunately proves it again: the fire which broke out on July 18, 2022 in Brasparts, in Brittany, would be of criminal origin according to the Quimper prosecution. On July 28, 2022, a 36-year-old firefighter admitted to having caused several fires to start in Hérault. In Ardèche, a 44-year-old man was taken into police custody, following his indictment for “arson”: after denying the facts, he admitted the presence of his car and his at the scene outbreaks of fire, which consumed 1,200 hectares of forest.

But not everyone who causes forest fires is an arsonist. According to a government awareness campaign, one in two human-caused fires is the result of carelessness. A cigarette butt thrown on the ground, a firework or a barbecue too close to the trees can have dramatic consequences on the environment and on humans; it is therefore important to adopt good reflexes to avoid it while protecting yourself. Planet gives you 6 tips to prevent forest fires.