Preventing a wildfire means both reducing the fire risk and diminishing its seriousness and its spreading. It is a matter of controlling the quality of the air, maintaining the ecological balance, protecting the resource and limiting the effects of future unrestrained fires. Human factor, unfortunately, is relevant: man is involved in 95% of european wildfires. In addition to limiting human infractions, it is possible to alter the balance of fuel in order to counter the fire risk. Fire prevention programs, therefore, consist of techniques such as controlled burn. This allows for a diversification of vegetal species and prevents the fuel, like dead leaves and sticks, to amass. Until now, controlled burn has been the most effective treatment for limiting the spreading speed of fires, their development and their heath. On the other hand, notwithstanding the benefits of this technique, the effects on some of the vegetal and animal species are crushing, as a consequence, it is often frowned upon.
But there are also other strategies. The trees are cut so to prevent a possible fire that started on the ground from spreading until their crowns. It is often compulsory to use fire-proof materials when building in wild areas or places where the fire risk is high. In other places, it is required a certain distance between the border of the wooded area and the first human buildings, and this zone is controlled and patroled during the dry season.