South west France authorities put in forest activity bans over wildfire fears
The region surrounding Bordeaux, the Gironde département, has moved to 'red alert' status for wildfires, according to local authorities. Here is what that means for visitors and residents.
Local authorities for the Gironde département - home to Bordeaux - have placed the département on 'red alert' for forest fires, according to a statement by the préfecture.
This alert is the fourth highest out of five levels of vigilance, and will apply to 'predominantly forested communities' such as Arcachon, la Test-de-Buch and Landiras - the full list of predominantly forested areas in the département can be found HERE.
READ MORE: MAP: Where are the main wildfires in France right now?
Local authorities announced the alert on Sunday, July 31st, and it went into effect Monday, August 1st.
🔴Passage en #vigilanceRouge risque #FeuxDeForets en #Gironde à compter du 1er aout et, ce jusqu’à nouvel ordre
⚠️vigilance très élevée / niveau 4 sur une échelle de 5
▶️La préfète appelle au respect des règles de prudence et de civisme
Consultez toutes les restrictions⤵️ pic.twitter.com/ZsDcwY7O36
— Préfet de la Nouvelle-Aquitaine et de la Gironde (@PrefAquitaine33) July 31, 2022
As the south-west region of France prepares for temperatures to rise again this week, local authorities hope to prevent further forest fires from occurring.
READ MORE: Heatwave: What temperatures can we expect in France in August?
Specifically, the alert prohibits people and vehicles from moving in forested area between 2pm and 10pm.
This applies both to vehicles and modes of transport without engines (e.g. bicycles). Circulation during this timeframe will not be allowed on forest roads, rural roads, logging roads, bicycle paths and all other paths and roads in forested areas open to the public.
Click HERE for roads and bike paths closed in the département.
This rule will apply to professional activities in the forests as well - such as logging, forestry, civil engineering, coal and sawmill operations.
Leisure and sports activities will also be prohibited in such locations during these hours, unless they are carried out specifically in recreational centres or beach areas.
The préfecture also prohibits certain activities within a distance of 200 metres from the woods and forests. These include the use/ setting of fires, smoking, throwing away any flammable or burning trash, incinerating bio (green) waste, wild or isolated camping, and shooting off fireworks in affected areas.
READ MORE: EXPLAINED: The rules and options for camping in France
The 'red alert' announcement comes after the region has already been significantly impacted by wildfires. Currently, the fire that burned over 7,000 hectares of forest in La Teste-de-Buch (located in the Arcachon Basin) is now classified as "under control," as of Friday, but it has not yet been extinguished.
Meanwhile, in the Landiras area, located in the southern part of the département, where 13,800 hectares of forest went up in smoke, the fire is no longer spreading, but it is not totally under control yet.
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Local authorities for the Gironde département - home to Bordeaux - have placed the département on 'red alert' for forest fires, according to a statement by the préfecture.
This alert is the fourth highest out of five levels of vigilance, and will apply to 'predominantly forested communities' such as Arcachon, la Test-de-Buch and Landiras - the full list of predominantly forested areas in the département can be found HERE.
READ MORE: MAP: Where are the main wildfires in France right now?
Local authorities announced the alert on Sunday, July 31st, and it went into effect Monday, August 1st.
🔴Passage en #vigilanceRouge risque #FeuxDeForets en #Gironde à compter du 1er aout et, ce jusqu’à nouvel ordre
— Préfet de la Nouvelle-Aquitaine et de la Gironde (@PrefAquitaine33) July 31, 2022
⚠️vigilance très élevée / niveau 4 sur une échelle de 5
▶️La préfète appelle au respect des règles de prudence et de civisme
Consultez toutes les restrictions⤵️ pic.twitter.com/ZsDcwY7O36
As the south-west region of France prepares for temperatures to rise again this week, local authorities hope to prevent further forest fires from occurring.
READ MORE: Heatwave: What temperatures can we expect in France in August?
Specifically, the alert prohibits people and vehicles from moving in forested area between 2pm and 10pm.
This applies both to vehicles and modes of transport without engines (e.g. bicycles). Circulation during this timeframe will not be allowed on forest roads, rural roads, logging roads, bicycle paths and all other paths and roads in forested areas open to the public.
Click HERE for roads and bike paths closed in the département.
This rule will apply to professional activities in the forests as well - such as logging, forestry, civil engineering, coal and sawmill operations.
Leisure and sports activities will also be prohibited in such locations during these hours, unless they are carried out specifically in recreational centres or beach areas.
The préfecture also prohibits certain activities within a distance of 200 metres from the woods and forests. These include the use/ setting of fires, smoking, throwing away any flammable or burning trash, incinerating bio (green) waste, wild or isolated camping, and shooting off fireworks in affected areas.
READ MORE: EXPLAINED: The rules and options for camping in France
The 'red alert' announcement comes after the region has already been significantly impacted by wildfires. Currently, the fire that burned over 7,000 hectares of forest in La Teste-de-Buch (located in the Arcachon Basin) is now classified as "under control," as of Friday, but it has not yet been extinguished.
Meanwhile, in the Landiras area, located in the southern part of the département, where 13,800 hectares of forest went up in smoke, the fire is no longer spreading, but it is not totally under control yet.
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