This Wednesday at the headquarters of Nîmes Métropole, elected officials were trained in fire risk prevention through OLD (Legal Obligation to Clear Bush).
A duty to avoid many disasters… Highly subject to fire risk, clearing of brush is obligatory in the Gard. This Wednesday, a meeting was held at the Colisée with around the table: the prefect of Gard, Jérôme Bonnet, the deputy director of the DDTM (Departmental Directorate of Territories and the Sea), Jean-Emmanuel Bouchut, and the president of the association of forest communities and mayor of Lirac, Cédric Clémente.
Clearing consists of reducing plant matter of all kinds (grass, branches, leaves, etc.) to reduce the intensity of fires and slow their spread. Please note that the area over which individuals and municipalities must clear bushes depends on their geographical area. The prefect of Gard, who launched the clearing campaign in October, noted: “ The forest is progressing and with it, the fire risk, due to agricultural abandonment ».
Mayors have police power to enforce these obligations. In the audience, the city councilors, mainly from rural areas, are satisfied with the evolution of communication: “ Before, it was quite repressive. Today, we explain more, our citizens understand better why it is necessary to do it “. If Cédric Clémente acquiesces, he nevertheless recalls: “ 25% of people do not want to clear brush. We have increasingly selfish and individualistic mentalities. »
Another mayor testifies to a “ problem of conscience » : « We ask those administered to do it, but sometimes we, the elected officials, do not respect our obligations because of the cost “. The DDTM indicated that the decree intended for the municipalities would be modified, allowing elected officials to better honor their obligations.
« The message is starting to get through. It's by repeating it, repeating and repeating », concludes another elected official. The damage in the Gard and the images of the “mega-fires” are also and unfortunately for something…
