Fighting forest fires: the Région Sud deploys 250 young sentinels
This summer, 250 young Gardes régionaux forestiers have been deployed to monitor the massifs of the Région Sud in the face of fire risks.
The badge presentation ceremony for the 7th class of the Gardes régionaux forestiers was held on June 24 at the Lycée Campus Nature Provence in Gardanne.
In the presence of François de Canson, vice-president of the Région Sud, and Richard Mallié, president of the SDIS 13 and patron of the class, the Région launched the summer mission of these 250 young people. Their role is crucial in the prevention of forest fires, a major territorial and economic challenge in the face of the consequences of climate change.
TANGIBLE RESULTS
“Since 2018, the Région has made the protection of its forest massifs a priority, named the "Guerre du feu". This policy is based on a significant investment of over 40 million €, intended to fund prevention, equipment, and awareness actions. A strategy that is bearing fruit,” as François de Canson recalled on behalf of the President of the Région, Renaud Muselier.
The mayor of La Londe-les-Maures added: "While remaining humble, in 2017, 8,474 hectares burned, in 2025, 1,634 hectares. The results are there, that is about 5 times less. This collective mobilization, which includes firefighters and volunteers from the Comités Communaux Feux de Forêts (CCFF), places the young guards system at the heart of preventive action. This fight, this "Guerre du feu" as we call it, you are its standard-bearers, and above all the sentinels with an essential responsibility that we entrust to you: that of preserving our natural spaces," it was declared to the young recruits.
INFORM AND ALERT
Trained in the knowledge of massifs, communication, and first aid techniques, these 250 young people roam the most sensitive sites of the region all summer, from the Luberon to the Calanques, passing through the Maures, the Mercantour, or the Sainte-Baume. Their role is primarily educational, aiming to modify risky behaviors.
“On the ground, your mission will be to inform, advise, guide, reassure and, when necessary, alert. Your presence on the ground is intended to complement the action of the emergency services, by acting upstream to prevent negligence from turning into ecological and economic disasters,” François de Canson insisted.
Beyond its effectiveness, the Gardes régionaux forestiers system is a benchmark in terms of civic engagement for youth. Its success has inspired the creation of similar systems for the protection of the coastline and mountains, with the maritime guard and the mountain guard.
The involvement of these youth is seen as a fundamental lever for the future of the territory.
“Your real strength lies in what you embody: a committed youth, convinced that we can act concretely to change behaviors and protect what is precious to us. By receiving their badge, these young people do not just become seasonal workers, but actors in the resilience of the territory. You are the ambassadors of a territory. The sentinels of our nature. The guardians of the living,” concluded François de Canson, praising an exemplary commitment to the preservation of an exceptional natural heritage.
Photos Région Sud.