France weighs overhauling Landes forest practices after record-size wildfires

A massive wildfire in southwest France’s Les Landes forest, an area the size of four Parisian districts, has burned thousands of hectares of the region’s historic pine plantation. Created in the 1800s for timber and resin, the tightly spaced maritime pines lack the mixed-species canopy that can dampen flames, making the forest especially prone to rapid fire spread under hotter, drier conditions. Climate change, combined with the forest’s monoculture, is driving calls for a new management strategy; President Emmanuel Macron urged planting more diverse, less flammable trees.

Stakeholders such as the Southwest Foresters’ Association, which represents the majority of private owners, stress that any shift away from pine monocultures must be backed by substantial financial support. Experts propose larger firebreaks, buffer zones around villages, and the addition of broadleaf species, though poor soils could limit large-scale conversion. The debate pits economic interests—supporting 60,000 jobs and €10 billion in revenue—against the need for a resilient, fire-resistant landscape.