Roads and water points built ahead of time to curb wildfires in south-west France
The European Commission's agriculture department describes two projects in France's Nouvelle-Aquitaine region where forest tracks and water tanks help firefighters reach wildfires faster. One of them, in Sud-Charente, was carried out with support from the EU's rural development fund.
Wildfire prevention in France's Atlantic region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine relies on road networks and water access inside forests. That is the message of a story published by the European Commission's agriculture department, which looks at two projects: one in the Landes de Gascogne and one in Sud-Charente. In summer 2026 firefighters in the region fought significant blazes, but the way a fire develops is largely determined by what has been done before it starts.
Landes de Gascogne: a forest defended by its owners
The Landes de Gascogne is one of Europe's largest forest areas, mostly pine. Since the early twentieth century, fire protection has been organised through local forest fire defence associations, ASA DFCI. Forest owners pay annual contributions and make land available for shared tracks and water points, while volunteers patrol during high-risk periods.
Conditions are changing: climate change raises wildfire pressure, and storms, bark beetle outbreaks and major fires have left younger, more uniform stands that are more fire-prone. Around Biscarrosse, trees under 16 metres make up about 75% of the forest; around Luglon, 83%.
In Solférino, Track No. 111 crosses soil with an impermeable alios layer, so water pooled on it every winter and it was sometimes impassable. After a 2017 assessment by the local ASA DFCI, the track was upgraded for year-round use and a new borehole was added. The Landes network aims for roughly one water point per 500 hectares. DFCI Landes reports that in 2026, 88% of fires stayed below one hectare.
Sud-Charente: starting almost from zero
Fires in Sud-Charente have grown in scale since 2020, and in summer 2022 reached around eight times the average. The municipalities of Yviers, Bardenac and Saint-Vallier share a continuous 217-hectare forest, about 62% of which was classed as high fire risk. It had no internal road suitable for vehicles, and water points were on average 2.5 km away.
With support from the Pays Sud Charente joint association, the Charente Prefecture, the SDIS fire service and funds from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), the municipalities built 1.7 km of gravelled road and two firefighting water tanks. The process took about five years, as environmental requirements, land ownership and responsibility for maintenance had to be settled. Local stakeholders say earlier funding planning and simpler procedures would help.
