WITH 90% of forest fires in France caused by human activity, the pompiers of the Dordogne have asked people to take care in the woods to cut the risk of accidentally starting a fire.
The Service Départemental d’Incendie et de Secours de la Dordogne dealt with around 100 forest fires in 2019, which burnt 142 hectares in total, and these statistics were up on the previous year.
Update July 2022 – Forest fires in south west France have seen the authorities step up their awareness campaign.
And the Dordogne préfecture has placed the département under a ‘risque sévère’ warning for forest fires.
And for 2020 the pompiers will also be able to use high performance drones to help in the spotting of fires with the new equipment able to reach an altitude of 100 metres and the high-tech kit also carries a heat detector.
But despite the new gadgets being at their disposal, the authorities say that it is the general public that can ensure fires do not start by accident, be that by not taking care when using a BBQ or by creating sparks when working with small machinery and tools in the forest.
Related: Rules tightened on burning of garden waste in the Dorodgne