Wood-burning fireplace bans in French communes from November 1, Digi Mart USA News: Winter is approaching, and for thousands of French households it is time to turn on the heating or have a chimney inspected. However, heating practices are regulated, and some communes have chosen to ban open fireplaces, according to Sud Ouest.
Since November 1, 657 communes in France have chosen to legislate on the issue. The communes affected by the ban are located in six departments: Nord, Loire, Rhône, Isère, Ain and Haute-Savoie.
In detail, 41 communes are affected in the Arve Valley (Haute-Savoie), 58 in the Lyon metropolitan area, 58 in the Loire, 95 in the Nord, and the remaining 400 between the Rhône, Ain and Isère, according to the site JeChange.fr.
The main reason for the ban is air pollution from fine particles emitted by wood heating, particularly from open fireplaces. The prefecture of Haute-Savoie defines these as “any chimney or installation whose hearth burns wood freely without an enclosure designed to contain combustion to improve efficiency.”
According to Orange Actu, various aid programs have been set up to help French households modernize their heating. In the Lille metropolitan area, the Prime Air can help finance the replacement of an older appliance, with aid reaching up to 2,850 euros.
Violators can face heavy penalties, Sud Ouest adds, with a fine of 1,500 euros.
