Action sheet — Before the fire
How to set up and use a barbecue without risking a fire
Five metres clear of all vegetation, a concrete slab, a hose at the ready, ashes thoroughly doused: you can enjoy a summer barbecue perfectly well in a high-risk area — provided you treat it for what it is: an open fire reaching 400 °C in a flammable environment.
Key points
- Fixed location: concrete slab or gravel, 5 metres from any vegetation and building facades, sheltered from the wind.
- Whilst cooking: never leave unattended; keep a pressurised hose or a 10-litre bucket within easy reach.
- Afterwards: douse the embers, stir them, then douse them again — put the cold ashes in the bin (24 hours).
- Orange/red alert: gas or electric, or postponed. Some regulations then prohibit all cooking fires.
Equipment: 2×2 m slab/gravel · garden hose or bucket · lid (to smother the fire) · metal ash bucket
Why it’s important
Barbecuing combines everything that makes a fire: open flames, embers blown about by the wind, burning fat, and embers that remain a hazard more than 24 hours. Every summer, the fire service is called out to deal with hedges, embankments and garden sheds that have caught fire following a barbecue — often after the meal, when ‘it was all over’. The full legal framework (bans within 200 metres of woodland, regulations on high-risk days) can be found at fire, barbecue, burning: the law.
How to do it, step by step
Create the final location
An area of at least 2×2 metres with a hard surface (paving slabs, gravel), situated 5 metres away from hedges, trees, building facades and trellises, and out of the path of the prevailing wind. A portable barbecue set up ‘wherever it looks nice’ is the enemy.
Check the context before switching on
The Today’s alert (orange/red: gas, electricity or carry-over), the wind (gusts = no coal), and local regulations (campsites, housing estates: often stricter).
Light it properly
Solid firelighters or a fire-lighting kit — NEVER use alcohol or petrol, as these can cause backfires and sparks to fly. Keep the lid and gloves within easy reach.
Monitor continuously
An adult must remain at home, with fire-extinguishing equipment within 5 metres (pressurised hose, bucket, fire extinguisher). Keep children and toys at a safe distance.
Switch it off for real
Douse the embers thoroughly, stir them with a shovel, then douse them again until they are cool to the touch. Alternatively: smother them with the lid on and leave them for a long time. Put the ashes in a metal bin outside; take them to the skipp the next day.
The mistakes that ruin everything
- Tip the ‘cooled’ ashes from the evening into the hedge or the compost bin — a classic habit of those 11 pm fires.
- Ignition using methylated spirits, which sends a wall of flames towards your face and flaming droplets onto the floor.
- Intermittent firing: the embers travel 10–20 metres.
- ‘Wild’ barbecues along the footpath — prohibited within 200 metres of woodland, and the cause of major fires.
The tip that makes all the difference
That red-letter day when friends turn up anyway: the gas plancha on the concrete slab works wonders – no embers, no ash – and it’s generally still allowed even when charcoal isn’t (check the by-law).
Frequently Asked Questions
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 new fire via the Feux de Forêt mobile app.