France Track allert

Every summer, large parts of Southern France face an increased risk of wildfires. For the people who live there, it’s simply part of life, a seasonal reality they have learned to live with, much like earthquakes in Japan or seasonal flooding in other parts of the world.

This year is no exception.

Several regions crossed by ACT France are currently affected by wildfires, and conditions can change from one day to the next. A forest road that was open yesterday may be closed today. Access restrictions can be introduced at very short notice, depending on weather conditions, firefighting operations and decisions made by local authorities.

Adventure Begins with Preparation

One of the values that defines ACT is the spirit of adventure. Adventure riding takes us far beyond busy roads and tourist destinations, into places where nature is constantly changing. Wildfires, storms, floods, forestry operations or damaged trails are all part of travelling through living landscapes. Most of the time they simply become another chapter of the journey.

Adventure isn’t about knowing exactly what you’ll find around the next corner. It’s about being prepared for whatever you do find and helping the next rider do the same. With that understanding adventure comes responsibility. 

Preparing for the unexpected is just as much a part of adventure riding as choosing the right tyres or packing the right tools. Every rider is responsible for planning their journey, checking local conditions and making informed decisions before and during the ride. A GPX track is a carefully prepared guide, not a guarantee that nothing has changed since it was published. Local conditions, temporary restrictions and official instructions will always evolve faster than any digital file can.

Helping Riders Prepare Better

Creating, verifying and improving ACT tracks is an ongoing effort, but we’re also working on something bigger. Our goal is to help members prepare for their adventures, ride better, understand navigation, understand temporary hazards, assess risks and make better decisions before they reach the trail. That includes improving how temporary closures, restrictions, wildfire information and other significant changes are shared with the community.

Throughout this project, one principle remains unchanged:

ACT helps you prepare for the adventure. It cannot replace your judgement once the adventure begins. We don’t want to tell riders what decisions to make, we want to help them make better-informed ones.

Why Isn’t This Already Available?

It’s a fair question – and one we’ve been working on. One of the biggest challenge isn’t the technology. It’s the information. Temporary hazards are reported by hundreds of different organisations: municipalities, forestry services, regional authorities, national agencies, emergency services and many others. Each publishes information differently, updates it at different intervals and covers different types of restrictions. Some areas provide excellent, regularly updated information. Others publish very little. And during major emergencies, local authorities are understandably focused on managing the situation rather than updating websites every hour.

Bringing all of that together into a single tool that is reliable, practical and sustainable across multiple countries is a much bigger challenge than it might first appear. When ACT publishes information, we want members to be able to trust it, not wonder whether it’s already out of date.

This Summer Can’t Wait

While that work continues, this summer’s wildfire situation in France reminds us that sometimes reality moves faster than development and rather than waiting until every part of the project is finished, we’d rather share the best resources currently available so members can prepare more effectively and make informed decisions before and during their ride.

The map below highlights the areas currently affected together with the sections of ACT France that may be influenced by wildfire restrictions.

Before and During Your Ride

First is essential that you understand that preparing your trip doesn’t end when you leave home.Before setting off each morning, take a few minutes to check the latest wildfire warnings, local weather forecasts and any temporary access restrictions that may affect your planned route. 

Conditions can change quickly, especially during periods of extreme heat.

Once you’re on the trail, remain attentive to your surroundings. Local signs, barriers and instructions from authorities are always more up to date than any news, any wildfire report or GPX file. If a road is closed, don’t assume the restriction doesn’t apply to motorcycles or that “it will probably be fine.” Respect closures, avoid anything that could increase the risk of fire and be prepared to adapt your route if necessary.

Adventure rewards flexibility just as much as preparation.

Help the Next Rider

If you come across a new wildfire restriction, a closed road or any other significant change that isn’t already known, we’d really appreciate hearing from you. A location, a couple of photos and a short description are often enough to begin an investigation. If it’s safe to do so, spending a few extra minutes collecting additional information, a short video, photos from different angles or a recorded GPX track can make a huge difference. The larger the problem, the more valuable those extra details become.

Every accurate report helps us understand the situation more quickly, reduces the time needed to investigate and helps keep the rest of the community informed.

Every report improves ACT.

Every contribution helps the next rider.

Ride Responsibly

ACT tracks pass through living landscapes and local communities. Respecting restrictions, protecting nature and making responsible decisions are all part of ensuring these routes remain enjoyable and legally accessible for everyone who follows. 

Prepare your trip.

Stay informed.

Respect local communities.

Respect nature.

Help the next rider.

Ride responsibly.