The summer season for the Regional Forest Guard, now in its ninth year, has been particularly demanding. Patrols had to contend with violent fires from the season's outset, heightened vigilance regarding national and local blazes, a prolonged and early heatwave, and an established drought affecting nature. The territory experienced a record 27 days of massif closures.
Despite extreme temperatures, the 18 regional guards worked throughout the summer to pedagogically explain the reasons behind these closures and the preservation stakes. They managed the frustration and disappointment of visitors, a challenging aspect of their mission. The Sainte-Baume Regional Natural Park wishes to thank all the guards for their seriousness, commitment, patience, and vigilance. In total, 76 patrol days were covered from June to the end of August, sensitizing approximately 27,000 people to fire risk.
The Park's territory was spared from the major fires that affected neighboring communes, such as the one at Bessillon. However, several fires did break out, including an alert raised by a pair of guards from the Col du Saint-Pilon. This prevention mission has gained significant meaning and must serve as a model for other regions newly exposed to the problem of summer forest fires.
Beyond the number of fires, it is crucial to consider the potential number of ignitions prevented by these preventive actions. Massif closures affected the Var sector for 26 days and the Bouches-du-Rhône sector for 14 days.
