The first heats are felt in the Drôme even before the summer season starts. Summer is the period that firefighters particularly fear because the risk of forest fire is extremely high in certain sectors of the Drôme Provençale. In prevention, this Wednesday, the services of the State and the SDIS of Drôme reminded, in Saint-Restitut, the importance of clearing. He must be done before May 15.
Clearing: a weapon against the spread of fires
The wooded area of the department of Drôme exceeds 350,000 hectares, it is more than 53.4% of the department. A cigarette butt thrown out of a car window, badly controlled burning, most fire starts are caused by human activities. In the event of a fire, a cleared area makes it possible to lower the power of fire, and facilitates the intervention of firefighters who mobilize fewer resources than on an unmaintained site. In an open area, a starting fire can even go out on its own.
– Lucile Auconie
Who is concerned by the clearing?
In 70 years, constructions inside or near forests have multiplied. So to protect these homes and natural environments from the consequences of a fire, anyone with land less than 200 meters from the woods must clear brush its space within a perimeter of 50 meters.
In 2008, in the Drôme, a prefectural decree obliges all the municipalities of the large southern half of the department to comply with this measure of clearing. This concerns all land located in urban areas of the municipality’s urban planning document.
– Lucile Auconie
This cleaning is done over the period from October to May. During the winter period, it is mainlyprune the trees, cut the invasive branches. In the spring, with the approach of the summer period, it is necessary to clear brush, tall grass and brambles. To help the inhabitants in their work, the State services have created a regulatory brushing guide to be found right here.
135 euros fine in the event of non-compliance with this obligation
In 2021, 382 plots were checked by the Departmental Directorate of Territories of Drôme. Thirty-seven owners who had not respected their obligation to clear brush were fined. Ten letters of formal notice were sent to them. Penalties can be severe because the initial infraction can quickly turn into a misdemeanor. The court can pronounce a judgment in which it will require that the fine of 135 euros be multiplied by the number of square meters not cleared.
Overall, the State services still note an improvement in behaviour. Climate change and the acceleration in the number of major forest fires have forced mentalities to change, according to the Prefect of Drôme. According to the agents of the direction of the territories “it’s not like a few years ago, the inhabitants are more and more vigilant“.
Two years ago, a major forest fire had destroyed 200 hectares in Montguers (Drôme) in the upper valley of the Ouvèze, in the Baronnies.