Firefighters in France deliberately start fires to prepare for summer risk

Firefighters in south-east France have been deliberately starting fires, in a technique that sounds counterintuitive, but will in fact help to prevent out-of-control forest fires this summer.

Brigades in Alpes-Maritimes have long been employing the method in certain at-risk areas, focusing on areas with excess dry vegetation and grass. The teams set off (and extinguish) controllable fires in these zones, which reduce the flammable material and undergrowth that could otherwise help spread an uncontrolled summer blaze.

Already, 460 hectares have been deliberately burned by firefighting teams in the Alpes-Maritimes since the start of the year. The practice is strictly regulated.

“First, we carry out an analysis of the area of operation, which is vital for determining where the fire is likely to spread,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Xavier Wiik, group commander of SDIS 06 and leader of the operation, to France 3 Côte d'Azur. 

“This determines where we ignite the fire, and it is what allows us to control the spread of the fire until it reaches a fire-resistant zone that we have prepared, where the fire will eventually die out. This enables more direct attacks…by reducing the vegetation in the path of the blaze,” he said.

The method also enables the firefighting teams to train in forest fire techniques, in preparation for the real thing in the hotter, summer months. The brigade can observe the fire’s behaviour under more controlled conditions, and analyse its direction, rate of spread, and reaction to the ground or wind.

Critics of the technique say that it causes problems for animals that live in the area, but proponents say it works to prevent worse disasters in summer, and helps to prepare the ground for new grass for livestock and game next spring.

Forest fire risk

Forest fires are a sadly-common disaster in much of France, particularly in the southern areas and in the hotter months. In 2025, a massive fire in the Aude department burned thousands of hectares of land and killed at least one person, in what would become the most devastating wildfire in mainland France since 1949.

Major blazes were also recorded elsewhere in Aude, as well as Gironde and Charente-Maritime. The year before was slightly better; considerable efforts to tackle blazes saw the number of hectares destroyed drop in 2024 compared to prior years. 

Every summer, the official state forecaster Météo France publishes a daily ‘forest fire’ risk map in the summer, showing where the risk of a blaze is the highest. 

It is estimated that up to 90% of forest fires in France are caused by human activity – either intentional or accidental – including the dropping of cigarette butts, failing to clean up properly after a barbecue, or misuse of tools in the garden.

Undergrowth clearing requirement

To help reduce the risk of summer fires, homeowners in certain areas are required to clear undergrowth from their properties, in a process known as ‘débrouissaillage’ (literally, ‘de-undergrowthing’) due to ‘obligations légales de débroussaillement (OLD)’.

Property owners in these areas must ensure that excess dry vegetation is cleared within a certain radius and date or face a fine. In cases where lack of undergrowth clearance leads to a person’s death or property damage in a forest fire, criminal penalties are possible.

The regulations require clearance across several regions in France, mostly in the south and Corsica, but  also parts of Brittany and the centre. 

This official interactive map shows locations where the rules apply.

The area required to do this is gradually expanding; for example, in 2025, both the Var and Hérault prefectures passed new regulations to extend the zones covered by the OLDs. 

These changes were prompted in part by major fires in recent years, including a 2021 blaze in Gonfaron (Var), which saw 7,000 hectares of land destroyed. Yet, more than 90% of properties in the area were unscathed, which authorities believe was due to the undergrowth clearance rules.

Because the rules are still relatively new in the area, in 2025 authorities in Var checked 2,000 properties that were covered by the regulations. They found that 1,500 had not adequately cleared undergrowth from around their properties. Of these, 400 homeowners / tenants were each fined €200 for severe cases, which were considered to present a danger to the lives of other people.

“The goal is not to fine owners who are required to carry out [undergrowth clearance] but to help them do so for everyone's safety,” said head of services at the Var prefecture Laurent Faré, to The Connexion.

“When officers observe that the OLDs are not being carried out correctly, there is an educational and support phase. Fines are a last resort for when the OLDs are not carried out and endanger people's safety,” he added.

Read more about the rules, how far around your property you need to clear, how to dispose of green garden waste, how to get financial help for major clear-ups, and what to do if your neighbour appears to be ignoring the requirement, in our article here.