She announced it on July 23 after congratulating the 18 Bas-Rhin firefighters who had just returned from Gironde where they had fought against the giant fires: the prefect of Bas-Rhin wants to set up an action and prevention plan against forest fires in the departement. “These kind of mega-fires make you think”, explains Josiane Chevalier.
A network of sentries to spot the outbreaks of fire
Concretely, the prefect wishes bring together mayors and all actors in the field from the end of August : “the National Office of Forests, the hunters, the Vosges club… We will create a network of sentries to spot the start of fires.”
The prefect also announces the creation of “communal forest fire committees” with a network of volunteers in the most exposed municipalities. “The State will provide the means”assures Josiane Chevalier.
In this month of July 2022, there are between 10 and 20 fire starts every day in Alsace according to the president of the European Community of Alsace, Frédéric Bierry. Restrictions are already in place in Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin. In particular, it is forbidden to have barbecues and campfires in the natural environment.