Within the frame of the national platform for disaster risk reduction, led by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the working group on "Vegetation and Forest Fires", composed of experts from the relevant authorities, has prepared advice on how to behave during the vegetation and forest fire season.
As the vacation season begins, it is important to remind the public to have:
The right reflexes to avoid vegetation and forest fires
Given the weather conditions of recent summers, characterized by a prolonged lack of rainfall, high temperatures and a dry vegetation cover in meadows, fields and forests, a simple careless gesture, such as a badly extinguished cigarette butt thrown on the ground or a spark caused by a car or agricultural machinery can be enough to start a fire.
We appeal to the public to be vigilant and responsible, and to consider the following recommendations:
For individuals:
- Do not throw cigarettes on the ground.
- Do not light open fires within nature.
- Limit barbecues to designated areas and have an extinguishing means available nearby (e.g. a canister of water).
- Do not dispose of barbecue embers in nature. Wait for the embers to cool completely before disposing them in the intended places.
- Do not drive through meadows, fields or forests to avoid sparks.
- Do not block access to forest paths or fields to ensure that the fire brigade has access in the event of a vegetation or forest fire.
For farmers:
- Carry a fire extinguisher in your vehicle or farm machinery to extinguish or at least limit any outbreak of fire.
- Check farm machinery regularly to avoid any technical problems that could produce sparks.
- Fill unused water tanks with water and make them available to the fire brigade if necessary.
- Always have a harrow available to scrape the earth or create a fire protection zone free of vegetation in the event of a fire.
- In the event of a fire, do not put yourself in danger and assist the fire brigade at their request (use of technical means or transport of water).
In the event of a fire, quickly notify the emergency services by calling the phone number 112, giving the precise location of the site (forest rescue point, if present) and indicating the access routes for the fire brigade when they arrive.
Press release by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development, the Ministry of Agriculture, Viticulture and Rural Development, the General Directorate for Tourism, the Nature and Forest Agency, the Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps and the Administration of Technical Agricultural Services