Restoring the place of fire landscapes

Learning to live with fire

With profound changes in human societies come sometimes dramatic consequences. The urban exodus, for example, has led cities to expand beyond their "natural boundaries", overtaking land once tended by farmers. The latter proved to be very practical buffer zones against forest fires, which no longer posed much of a threat to urban agglomerations. In the summer of 2025, Marseille saw fires coming dangerously close to exactly that.

So the experts say: we need to rethink the landscape around cities to better protect them from fire. This means setting up "pyrop landscapes", places that will prove to be barriers where fire can occur without catastrophic consequences.

This can be achieved by thinking in terms of plant strata, from small shrubs to more flame-resistant arboreal species. Another solution is to practice prescribed burning, a modern version of pastoral braziers, which is carried out by experienced personnel. They create modest fires, letting certain vegetation burn with control, which could serve as fuel in the event of a fire, thereby reducing the risk of spread. But convincing communities and politicians of the importance of these landscapes is a major challenge.

Running time: 4 minutes

Image: Matthias Fischer from Pixabay

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