The legal brush-clearing requirement (OLD)
In risk areas, the law requires clearing brush within 50 metres around buildings, structures or installations located within 200 metres of a wooded area, scrubland, garrigue or heathland. The goal: keeping fire from reaching the home, and slowing its spread towards forests if a fire starts near a house.
Before summer: preparing your home
According to Civil Protection, before the risk season:
- Clear brush around your house: cut low vegetation and prune trees so they don't touch.
- Bring in your garden hose, useful after the fire passes to extinguish remaining embers.
- Block vents and door gaps to keep smoke and embers from getting in.
- Store wood and gas bottles in a closed shed, away from the home.
During the fire
- If you witness a fire starting, immediately call 112, 18, or 114 (for hearing-impaired people), and try to locate the fire.
- Leave the wooded area immediately, or shelter in a solid building.
- In a car, avoid getting out; if caught by a wall of flames, stop in a clear area.
- You're generally safer in a building: only evacuate on authorities' orders.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a damp cloth to protect against smoke.
After
- Stay tuned to authorities' and public media's instructions.
- If authorities asked you to evacuate, don't return home before receiving authorisation.
- Throw out any food exposed to heat, smoke or soot; don't use water that could be contaminated.
Mistakes to avoid
- Neglecting brush clearing because "the fire has never reached here". It's a legal requirement, not an option.
- Getting out of your vehicle facing an approaching wall of flames.
- Evacuating on your own initiative without authorities' orders, potentially crossing an area more dangerous than your home.
- Returning home too early after an evacuation, before official authorisation.
Fires detected near you
LASTLINE can help you:
- see satellite-detected fires (NASA FIRMS) on your area's risk map;
- keep your practical guides and family plan accessible, even without network.
This satellite display is raw monitoring data, not a pushed alert: LASTLINE doesn't actively notify you of a fire, and doesn't replace local authorities' instructions or legal brush-clearing requirements.
Track my area's alertsFrequently asked questions
What is the legal brush-clearing requirement?
It's the obligation, in affected areas, to clear brush within 50 metres around your house when it's within 200 metres of a wooded area, scrubland or garrigue. It aims to keep fire from reaching the home.
What's the penalty for not complying with mandatory brush clearing?
An administrative fine of up to 50 euros per square metre not cleared, plus a possible criminal fine, and the work being carried out on the owner's behalf at their expense if a formal notice goes unheeded.
Should you stay in your car facing a wildfire?
It's advised not to leave your vehicle if caught by a wall of flames: stop in a clear area rather than getting out. A solid building remains safer than a car if you can reach it in time.
Sources
- Civil Protection (Ministry of the Interior), Wildfire.
- Ministry for Ecological Transition, Legal brush-clearing requirements (OLD).