Open fireplace ban in 657 French communes, Digi Mart USA News (France): Since November 1, 657 communes in France have chosen to ban open fireplaces, as temperatures drop and winter approaches. The measure is expected to frustrate residents who have traditionally heated their homes with wood.
The ban was already in force in many cities since 2022, but several additional communes have now followed suit. Six departments are affected by the expansion: Nord, Rhône, Isère, Loire, Haute-Savoie and Ain.
The stated goal is to limit air pollution. Wood heating is considered the main source of pollution in some communes, and certain microparticles released are particularly harmful to both the atmosphere and human health.
Arabelle Patron, head of studies at Atmo, told ICI Nord that particulate air pollution is responsible for 40,000 premature deaths in France, including just over 5,000 in the Hauts-de-France region.
The government explains that open fireplaces are banned because an open hearth emits up to 30 times more pollutants than a high-performance wood heating appliance. The prefecture of Haute-Savoie specified that the measure targets any fireplace or installation whose firebox burns wood freely without an enclosure designed to confine combustion and improve efficiency.
The aim is to encourage residents to buy an insert, which limits polluting particles. Mathieu Lefèvre, the minister delegate for the ecological transition, wrote on X that the measure is one of education rather than constraint, and that households that continue using this type of heating will be made aware of its dangers.
Under certain conditions, residents may receive MaPrimeRénov’ assistance to replace an open fireplace with a closed one, such as a fireplace with an insert or a stove. However, residents who refuse to comply with the legislation face a fine of 1,500 euros.
