Prevention

Share fact sheets

Prevention, step by step: 22 action sheets

One task = one fact sheet: the objective, the steps, the time required, the cost, and mistakes to avoid. From clearing a gutter to a neighbour’s request to trim their hedges, every task in the guide becomes a standalone instruction sheet — taking just 3 minutes to read and a weekend to complete.

Content verified — July 2026

These factsheets set out the guidelines from the Prevention Hub in individual shares. Each one shows duration, cost, difficulty and equipment, the steps in order, and the issues identified on site. Tick them off at a rate of one per weekend: within a season, your home will be in a whole new league.

Protecting the home

1–2 hours

Cleaning gutters and roofs

The number one entry point for sparks — and the most effective technique.

Read
1–2 hours · €20

Fitting mesh to the air vents

Close the loft door to keep out embers: 3 mm mesh, fixed with screws.

Read
Half a day

Storing firewood

10 metres from the house or a closed shelter: a pile against the wall is a fire hazard.

Read
1 hour

Gas and flammable substances safety

Bottles flagged, premises ventilated, tank cleared: what the fire brigade is looking for.

Read
10-minute check

Facilitating access for firefighters

3 m wide, 3.5 m high, with a gate that can be opened: otherwise, the house is unprotected.

Read
Half a day

Create a water reserve

An accessible, clearly marked swimming pool or tank: just the thing to keep the embers alight — and to douse them.

Read

Gardening & everyday tasks

1–2 days

Thinning & pruning trees

3 m between the tops, 2 m of bare trunk: trim the fire ladder without cutting it flush.

Read
1 weekend

Splitting up your hedge

Maintain privacy, break up the line of sight: a 3-metre gap every 10 metres.

Read
Half a day

Switch to mineral mulch

Pumice and pebbles within 3 metres of the walls — bark is small fry.

Read
5 seconds

Putting out a cigarette

600 °C for several minutes: the correct procedure, the pocket ashtray, the law.

Read
Set-up: 2 hours

Safe barbecuing

5 metres, a slab, a pipe, damp ashes: a peaceful barbecue.

Read
+15 mins

Spark-free work

Disc mower and brush cutter: clear a patch, clear the area, check on it after 1 hour.

Read
After each pruning

Disposing of garden waste

Shredding, composting, recycling centres: clearing out the garden without burning (€450 fine).

Read

D-Day — and the days that followed

60 seconds

Make sure you call 112

Location, description, wind, hazards: the call script that changes everything.

Read
10 minutes

Insulate the house

Shutters, mechanical ventilation, damp washing, gas: the chronological sequence of lockdown.

Read
20 minutes

Drawing up the family plan

Meeting point, contact person, children, pets: 5 decisions — template to complete.

Read
Anticipation

Bringing animals indoors

From cats brought in early to flocks released onto cleared land — never kept in enclosures.

Read
24–48 hours

Do the ‘anti-embers’ round

Every 2–3 hours, the circuit that prevents the house from catching fire afterwards.

Read
2–4 hours

Gathering evidence for insurance purposes

Photos first and foremost, stock records, reconstructed invoices: thousands of euros at stake.

Read

Brush clearing (OLD)

Where to start?

If your home is in a high-risk area, the order of priority identified by the emergency services is as follows: to measure its radius then clear undergrowth, then gutters + vents + wood that same weekend, or rather the human aspect — family plan and 72-hour kit. Theself-diagnosis will tell you where you stand before and after.

The risk changes every day. So do your reflexes.

Check the fire alert status for your department, keep track of current fires and report a fire via the Feux de Forêt mobile app.