Forest fire prevention - importance of organisation against fire

The French DFCI (Defence of Forests Against Fire) in Aquitaine is a century old organization established in the late nineteenth century by forest owners, and still run and managed by foresters.

Until the 2nd World War, the DFCI associations provide alone prevention but also, in the absence of firefighters, direct fight against forest fires, often on a shoestring.

manual fight against fire

The Ordinance of the 28th April 1945 makes these DFCI associations mandatory in Aquitaine.

Fordson tractor and drum chopper against fire

In 1946, with the assistance of the owners and all users of the forest, they implement specific financial means to enable the work of prevention, management and partitioning of the forest.

The Darriet company, since the launch of the drum chopper in 1922, sought ways to improve prevention against fire by offering innovative solutions at that time.

drum chopper with a water tank

mobile water tank

After the great fires of 1947 and 1949, given the emergency and the importance of the effort to save what was intact and restore the destroyed forests, the roles are separated: 

- DFCI associations do the fire prevention work and the development of the territory, 

- firefighters do the active fire fight.

tracked vehicle with a water tank 

Together, the system of protection against fires implemented, the association of fire prevention and active fire fight proves its efficiency, by reducing the average area burned.

Nowadays drum choppers, thanks to their efficiency and robustness, are still used to clear sensitive areas or maintain firebreaks and preserve forests from fires.

two drum choppers for more efficiency

The drum chopper can be attached to a tractor, a skidder or a tracked vehicle .

The minimum working speed is 4 km/h - 2,5 miles / h (the only speed limit depends on the driver !).

Its working width can reach 6 m - 19.7 feet or more...if needed. 

It can be fastened onto the three points hitch for some applications.

Many thanks to the Aquitaine DFCI. 
For more information: www.feudeforet.org/