Between the fires that recently threatened Lège-Cap-Ferret and forced residents to relocate as far away as Bordeaux, and the repeated red alerts that strike the Var, Bouches-du-Rhône, and Vaucluse departments every summer, the risk of forest fires is no longer simply a weather hazard for padel tennis project developers. It has become a criterion for location, a cost factor, and sometimes a matter of survival for the business. 

An outdoor sport, direct exposure

Padel has largely developed around an outdoor court model, often located on the outskirts of cities, on brownfield sites, industrial parks, or converted farmland—locations that frequently border wooded areas or forests, particularly in the South of France where demand is booming. This proximity, which often contributes to the site's appeal (green surroundings, tranquility, more affordable land), also creates a direct exposure to fire risk.

Unlike a traditional gym or sports hall, an outdoor padel club simply cannot operate in the event of dense smoke, a red alert, or a prefectural closure of the surrounding mountains. Activity ceases, even though the building itself is not at risk—a direct financial loss not covered by most standard insurance policies.

What a project leader should check before signing

Before choosing a plot of land or signing a commercial lease, several checks are now necessary, just like market research or access to networks:

  •  The PPRIF zoning  (Forest Fire Risk Prevention Plan) of the municipality, which can impose construction constraints, or even prohibit certain developments in the red zone.
  •  The legal obligation to clear brush  (OLD), which applies to any land located less than 200 meters from a wood or forest, with specific rules on the distances to be respected along access roads.
  •  Fire history  on the municipality and neighboring municipalities, accessible via the BDIFF database (Database on Forest Fires in France) or the Prométhée platform for the Mediterranean area.
  •  Conditions for insurability  From the site: some insurers now exclude or surcharge outdoor activities located in high-risk areas.
  •  The business continuity plan  : what to do (and above all, how to pay staff) during an administrative closure of several days?
Fires in Gironde: when fire also threatens the padel season in the Arcachon Basin

A risk that is no longer limited to the South

The reflex is often to associate the fire risk solely with the Mediterranean arc. Recent events in Gironde — more than 20,000 hectares already gone up in smoke during the summer of 2022 in the Landes and the Gironde massif, and a new red alert declared since July 21, 2026 with fires having reached Lège-Cap-Ferret — remind us that the risk now extends well beyond Provence, to population centers where padel is experiencing very strong growth, such as the Bordeaux metropolitan area.

Key forest fires in the PACA region to be aware of

The Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region remains by far the most affected by fire risk in France, with three-quarters of the land burned each year nationwide going up in smoke in the fifteen departments along the Mediterranean coast. Here are some useful points for anyone planning a padel tennis project in the area:

 Historic Fires 

  •  Sainte-Victoire, Bouches-du-Rhône, August 1989  — one of the most devastating fires the massif has ever seen, with more than 2,000 firefighters mobilized for three days.
  •  Massif des Maures, Var, 2000-2010  — the most affected department in the region over the last thirty years, with recurring fires, particularly around Bormes-les-Mimosas.
  •  Bormes-les-Mimosas, Var, July 2017  — vineyards and forest areas devastated, one of the most significant fires of the decade.

 2026 Season: Vigilance that began at the start of summer 

  •  1st July 2026  — two fires in Bouches-du-Rhône causing evacuations and a plume of smoke visible as far as Marseille; six departments in the South placed on red alert the same day.
  •  18th July 2026   — preventive closure of all mountain ranges in the Var region by the prefecture, in the face of a risk described as "extreme or very severe".
  •  End of July 2026  — a fire ravages 180 hectares between Taradeau and Les Arcs-sur-Argens (Var), with evacuations and exceptional resources deployed; Var and Bouches-du-Rhône are once again on red alert.

For a padel club located in these departments — Var and Bouches-du-Rhône in particular, but also Vaucluse and Alpes-Maritimes during heat waves — these episodes translate concretely into closures of outdoor courts for several consecutive days, in the middle of the high summer season, at the time when activity should be at its peak.

Anticipate rather than react

Several avenues are emerging for club developers who wish to secure their business in the face of this growing risk:

  •  Opt for covered or semi-covered structures.  in the most exposed areas, to limit the total cessation of activity in the event of a smoke alert or restriction of access to the mountains.
  •  Diversify the location of the pitches  within the same club (indoor/outdoor mix) rather than relying on a 100% outdoor model in a high-risk area.
  •  Include a business interruption clause related to climate risks  in insurance negotiations from the business plan phase, and not after a first claim.
  •  Contact the DFCI services  (Forest Fire Protection) local authorities to find out about brush clearing obligations and firebreaks to be planned from the site design stage.
  •  Plan for crisis communication  with members in case of temporary closure, to limit the impact on loyalty and subscriptions.

The future of padel in 2026 can no longer be defined solely by available land and population base. In a Mediterranean—and now Atlantic—climate increasingly prone to major fires, fire risk has become a crucial factor in the business plan, just like the price per square meter or local competition.

Sources: French Forest Fire Database (BDIFF), feuxdeforet.fr platform, PACA Regional Observatory of Major Risks, France 3 Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

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