South of France

Each year there are numerous fires in the hot Provence sun, often due to lack of care and attention. On average, 3000 fires each year destroy 15,000 hectares of forest.

As a result, there are rules and regulations to follow, and times when certain areas are closed to the public. Since these anti-fire measures will be useful to anyone vising Provence, here is a quick guide:

Forbidden

• Smoking or discarding cigarette butts in forest and wooded areas
• Barbecues and campfires are banned within 200 metres of a wooded area
• Use of matches and fireworks is forbidden

Pay particular attention

• Don’t park a car even just to take a photo etc in long dry grass

Alerting the authorities

If you see a fire, even very small, contact the authorities by phoning either 18 or 112. Don’t be put off if you can’t speak French, hopefully the person at the other end will speak English, or be able to find someone who can if you keep saying ‘feu’ or ‘grand feu’!

Useful tips if you come across a fire

• Keep moving in the same direction as the wind, but also sideways, so as to try and avoid the path of the fire.
• If there is a lot of smoke breathe through a damp cloth
• If you are in a car and trapped by fire, the priority is to find a location where there is little undergrowth and trees around the vehicle, and to clear away as much as possible before the fire arrives. Usually a large road large parking area is the most cleared section.
• If you can’t get away from the fire, stay inside the car, close the windows, and turn on the car lights
• Keep the car engine running

This information is derived from a document freely available in Provence tourist offices – please get hold of the full document and read it rather than risk starting a fire or becoming a potential victim of a fire.