Regulations
Fire, barbecues, burning : what the law actually says
Between the Forestry Code, the Environment Code and prefectural decrees, it’s hard to know what’s allowed. Here’s a clear summary: what’s prohibited everywhere and at all times, what depends on your department, and the fines you could face.
Key points
- Burning garden waste (grass clippings, prunings, leaves) is prohibited all year round, everywhere — a fine of €450.
- In the woods and as far as 200 m : It is prohibited for anyone who is not the owner to carry or light a fire (including smokers, subject to local by-laws).
- Each department on display has its own ‘Use of Fire’ Order : ‘red’ periods, stricter restrictions on high-risk days.
- Controlled burning (pastoral burning) remains permitted in certain areas — provided it is declared, supervised and carried out outside high-risk periods.
- Causing a fire through negligence is a criminal offence: up to one year in prison and a fine of €15,000 (much more if there are victims).
Three levels of rules you need to know
National bans (everywhere, at all times)
Burning of garden waste by private individuals (Environment Code); fires lit by non-landowners in, or within 200 metres of, woodland and forests (Forest Code, Art. L131-1); ; throwing cigarette ends or incandescent objects.
Prefectural decrees (your department)
In the affected departments, a permanent ‘use of fire’ order sets out the periods (often: a stricter ban from mid-June to mid-September plus windy days), the conditions for exemptions and the uses tolerated outside the season. On days when the risk is very high, temporary decrees suspend all activities: fires, construction work, and sometimes access to the mountain ranges.
Local rules
Municipal, campsite and housing estate regulations: these are often stricter (communal barbecues prohibited, designated smoking areas). The most restrictive set of rules always applies.
Case by case: allowed or prohibited?
| Location | Verdict | References / Terms and Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Burning grass clippings, leaves and hedge trimmings in your garden | ❌ Prohibited all year round | Art. L541-21-1 of the Environmental Code — fine of €450 (administrative offence), full liability if the fire gets out of control. Alternatives: recycling centre, shredding, composting. |
| Campfire, portable gas heater, barbecue in or near a woodland area (– within 200 m) | ❌ Not permitted (non-owners) | Art. L131-1 of the Forestry Code. Specifically authorised designated areas: sole exceptions, outside prohibited periods. |
| A barbecue at home, in an ordinary garden | ✅ Licence subject to conditions | Unless otherwise specified on high-risk days. Mineral surface, 5 metres from vegetation, water within reach — Find out more here. |
| Burning of agricultural or forestry residues (professionals) | ⚠️ Derogation | Declaration/authorisation from the prefectural or municipal authorities, excluding prohibited periods, subject to strict conditions (wind, supervision, fire-fighting equipment). |
| Slash-and-burn / pastoral burning (in the mountains, particularly the Pyrenees) | ⚠️ Sidebar | Notification to the town hall, local committees, authorised periods, supervised burning. Unauthorised burning is a recurring offence at the start of the year. |
| Fireworks, sky lanterns, a brazier on the terrace | ⚠️ According to regulations | Fireworks are often banned in the summer in exposed areas (including on 14 July in some local authorities); sky lanterns are banned in many departments; fire pits are subject to the same rules as barbecues. |
| A cigarette in the forest | ⚠️ to ❌ | Although prohibited by most regulations during the high-risk season, discarding cigarette ends is still an offence. In practice: do not smoke in the forest during the summer. |
Why is there a total ban on burning (even in winter)?
Two reasons combined:
- The air : Burning 50 kg of green plant matter emits as much fine particulate matter as a modern diesel car travelling thousands of kilometres. This is one of the reasons for the winter pollution peaks in the valleys.
- Fire : A significant proportion of spring fires start as ‘controlled’ burns that get out of hand — a sudden gust of wind, and the pile of brushwood turns into a hillside fire. Firefighters are called out thousands of times a year to deal with controlled burns and fires that have got out of control.
So what should you do with your green waste? Shredding and mulching (the most environmentally friendly option), composting, or taking it to the recycling centre — this topic is covered in detail in do my brush-clearing.
What you stand to lose
- Burning of garden waste : €450 (up to €750 in court), possible confiscation of equipment, and the cost of the emergency services should they be called out.
- No fires permitted in woodland areas : a minimum 4th-class fine (a flat-rate charge of €135), depending on the relevant regulations.
- Accidental fire caused : offence — up to 1 year’s imprisonment and a fine of €15,000 (Article 322-5 of the Criminal Code), increased to 3 years’ imprisonment and a fine of €45,,000 in the event of a deliberate breach of a safety obligation, and up to 10 years if the fire resulted in death. In addition, there is civil compensation for victims — claims by insurers run into hundreds of thousands of euros.
- Arson : a crime/offence subject to severe penalties (up to 15 years’ imprisonment and a fine of €150,000, or more in the event of aggravating circumstances).
The risk changes every day. So do your reflexes.
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