In order to prevent wildfires the fines levied for not clearing your garden are increasing.
The areas affected are:
- Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes,
- Corse,
- Nouvelle-Aquitaine,
- Occitanie,
- Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur.
The rules might differ between departments in the same region, and some other departments that have forests or woods at risk might also require it.
To check if your property is affected visit the official website
If you are in an affected area, and your property is situated within 200m of woodland, you are usually required to clear and cut back vegetation ‘débroussaillement’) across:
- a 50m radius around your home.
- along private roads or tracks leading to your home, 10m should be cleared on each side.
Local decrees might modify the rules – check with your mairie or prefecture.
In areas at risk of forest fires there are now tougher fines for people who do not carry out this obligatory ‘débroussaillement’. Penalties will rise from €30 to €50 per square metre of land requiring ‘débroussaillement’. Your mairie can serve a formal notice period in which you must complete the work, and can impose a fine of up to €100 for each day that you fail to do so, as well as the €50 fine per square metre. You may also risk a criminal fine of up to €750. If the failure allows a fire to spread and damage another person’s property, this can rise to a year in prison and a €15,000 fine.