“Wildfires are a real ecological disaster. It was only natural that I play a role in environmental protection,” says Sébastien Missou, who has been volunteering for three years with the Conservatoire-Etudes des Écosystèmes de Provence. A true professional in the field, he is aware of the stakes and the magnitude of the disaster. So, every summer, he uses his knowledge and time to meet with walkers and patrol around the Massif des Maures.
Like him, there are many who want to participate in the protection of natural sites. The DDAF (Departmental Directorate of Agriculture and Forests), the SDIS (Departmental Fire and Rescue Service), the General Council, ONF (National Forestry Office) … all are on a war footing. For the past month, temperatures have been high and the neglect of walkers does nothing to help the situation.
Everything plays against nature. This worries Antoine Cotard, project manager at the Conservatoire-Etudes des Écosystèmes de Provence, who works in the Var region. “In the summer, the Plaine des Maures becomes a high-risk area. We have a team of volunteers to patrol and we carry out brush clearing, but it’s never enough.” This does not prevent the organization from setting up a public awareness campaign for the first time on a section of the A8 highway. A stand will be set up for the occasion.
In the same spirit of preserving the “green” heritage, Emmanuel Sutter, an engineer in the Forest Environment Management Service, sets the tone. In a solemn tone, he explains: “From July 1 to September 30, we are in the red period. Especially in the west of the department. It’s forbidden to burn anything in nature!” A member of the DDAF, he specifically manages the forest fire risk prevention plan. The program includes public meetings to inform, often with the presence of firefighters. There’s also the verification of the application of regulations. All these efforts are not always rewarded. Emmanuel Sutter laments: “We must realize that fire is part of the Mediterranean forest. We have to live with this idea, and it’s not easy.”
