Colonel Sylvain Besson, deputy departmental director of the Hérault fire brigade, indicated on Monday March 28 on franceinfo that the vegetation fires “should reproduce regularly and eventually become habitual” if we are to believe “projections at 20 years”. Fires exceptionally early in the year took place this weekend, especially in the Alpes-Maritimes, due to an unprecedented drought at this time of the year. “This phenomenon tends to migrate further north” of France, he says, a consequence of climate change.
franceinfo: Have the rains of recent days helped to limit the breakage?
Sylvain Besson: The rains of the last few days have made up for a large part, but not all, of the water deficit. We will have to follow the evolution again over the next few weeks until the summer. The concern went to other sectors, in particular where the fires are currently occurring in the Alpes-de-Hautes-Provence and the Hautes-Alpes.
We are facing fire outbreaks again this weekend in the Alpes-Maritimes and Bouches-du-Rhône, but also in departments north of the Loire which have not usually been a problem for several years: Maine- et-Loire and Charente-Maritime with around thirty hectares again this weekend. It’s quite exceptional, but the 20-year projections lead us to situations that should recur regularly and eventually become habits.
This is why it is necessary to communicate well on all these facts, to also educate the population and to prepare, the fire and rescue services, the prefectures, the mayors, for this phenomenon which tends to migrate further north in the face of the climate change that we all know.
How are you adapting to this new situation?
For this, there is an important and consolidated experience in the south of France since it has been dealing with these phenomena for 40 years, or even more. It is a global public policy which includes prevention and education of the populations, but of course also the fight, the interdepartmental work. We share these issues with all the directors, also under the aegis of the department prefects, so as to prepare the territories located further north.
These are training subjects and land-use planning subjects to create access, to improve fire protection, to create water points. This expertise is under the aegis of the Civil Security Department, the Ministry of the Interior and the National Federation of Firefighters of France. These discussions have been discussed for two or three years to prepare these territories for the arrival of these natural phenomena which are classified as natural risks and which are almost systematically produced by the hand of man.
What are the rules that must absolutely be observed to avoid the risk of fire?
When we have dry periods, when it is announced in all the media and when there is a bit of wind, especially when it is over 40 km/h, we prohibit, we delay the burning that we wish to carry out in his garden or the sometimes use of tools that generate sparks such as grinders or others, because it is the guaranteed start of fire with all the consequences that we know. This is also the time to fulfill the legal clearing obligations. We are in March-April. This is where we maintain our land. One protects one’s home in such a way as to guarantee conditions of safety, efficiency, and intervention by the firefighters later.