The mayor of southern France has banned people from smoking in their vehicles and most of the village center, because to reduce the risk of forest fires, the risk of fire is high.
Langlad (Gard, Ostani) 2,000 villages are surrounded by pine forests.
Mayor Getan Privi has now issued a decree banning both men from smoking in cars – street cigarettes should not be thrown out the windows – and the village itself (except in selected areas).
Violators face a fine of up to 15 euros.
The village is surrounded by very dry vegetation, which is prone to fires.
“The purpose is to prevent it, and I’m going down hard, because I think it’s very important to raise people’s awareness, but we don’t oppose ‘smoking,'” Mr. Prevotu said.
Some residents welcomed the move. One told TF1: “We see firefighters almost every day, and we hear sirens, so why not take such a step? Smoking in Langland is not a big deal.
Local travelers also supported the decision. One said: “It’s very simple. It did not rain. Forest fires [elsewhere] They are big now. The smallest flash from the match and it goes. There are many dead pine trees here. If it does, it will be a fire.
Other residents are less sure. One said: “The penalty for smoking in a car is a little higher.” Another said: “It seems impossible to force a police officer to inspect every car.”
Firefighters are predicting a difficult summer in France due to the fire, and as a result, many forests in the southern part of the country have been closed to the public.
A wildfire in the Var area last year killed two people, destroyed more than 7,100 hectares of vegetation, and is believed to have been forced to extinguish more than 1,100 firefighters.
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