the risk of fires extends to the North

The vegetation transformed into a blaze, hundreds of firefighters fighting the flames. Every summer, in the south of France, the sad spectacle of fires is repeated. Today, the risk extends to the north of France so the firefighters are preparing for it. In Mayenne, since last year, volunteer firefighters have been training on forest fires. Two training sessions are held each year as part of a national action plan for better coordination between firefighters from different departments in the event of large fires.

According to experts, a third of forests are classified as at risk today. It will be more than half by 2050. The risk is gradually moving north. Between 2006 and 2019, forest fires gradually increased there. “To Across the territory, we have winters and springs that are less and less rainy, therefore favorable to an already early and well-established drought. With the summer heat, there is a risk of fire spreading to the north of the country“, says Joris Vallon, forest fire referent in Île-de-France Météo France. Experts also fear that the fire season will extend from early spring to fall.