The vegetation is green, which is surprising for June, when drought is usually already well and truly established in the south of France. "It's the first time I've seen that", says Dominique Lampereur, head of the Pernes-les-Fontaines Municipal Forest Fire Committee (CCFF), to our colleagues at France Bleu Vaucluse.
Vegetation at risk
Whilst the drought is now a distant memory, another problem looms for the departments at risk of forest fires. Encouraged by the rain, vegetation is growing: where the undergrowth was no more than five centimetres high last year, it is now "four to five times higher", remarks Dominique Lampereur, with concern.
With the sunshine and temperatures forecast for the coming days, "It’s going to turn into dry grass, and that poses an additional fire risk because the taller the vegetation, the faster the fire can spread to the trees".