Drome. The obligation to clear brush is required in 242 municipalities, which you risk in the event of non-compliance

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In recent years, fires of unprecedented scale have ravaged several European countries, including France. The summer of 2022 was marked by historically devastating fires.

In the Drômeto prevent this danger, regulations on Legal Clearing Obligations (OLD) are required. out of 242 municipalities (out of 363 listed by INSEE) of the department exposed to forest fire risk.

“It applies within a radius of 50 meters around buildings, homes, installations, and on buildable plots of a Local Urban Plan (PLU)”, recalls the prefecture of the department in a press release.

When the land is less than 200 meters from a wood or forest, the owner has the obligation to clear it. Otherwise, your wallet will suffer…

Create a “seat belt”

To find out if you are subject to this obligation, you can consult the search tool set up by the National Institute of Geographic and Forestry Information (IGN) by clicking on this link.

“The current period, falling outside the reproduction cycles of fauna and flora, is best suited to clearing bushes in preparation for the summer of 2025, in order to reduce the risk of fires,” underlines the prefecture.

Clearing brush around your home reduces the risk of spread and the intensity of a possible fire. A “safety belt” is thus created, which allows you to protect yourself and your loved ones, your property and your environment. Clearing brush also makes it easier for firefighters to intervene.

What is clearing?

The mayor must ensure control of the execution of this obligation in his municipality. State services support communities in implementing municipal plans for managing OLDs.

At the same time, the prefect wanted to develop awareness and control campaigns carried out by the competent forestry services. From now on, at least 12 municipalities will be affected each year by this plan to monitor compliance with OLDs.

These mandatory works aim to reduce the combustible mass by guaranteeing a break in the continuity of the plant cover, mainly at the level of the herbaceous and shrub layers.

Effective clearing involves:

• remove dead wood, brush and dry grass;
• cut down trees located too close to homes;
• space the trees so that their branches do not touch each other;
• prune low branches to a minimum height of 2 meters along the trunks;
• get rid of cut plants by grinding, by disposal in a recycling center or by
  composting.

For more details, you can consult the guide to regulatory clearing of Drôme.

What are the penalties for non-compliance?

If you do not respect the legal obligation to clear brush, your wallet will take a hit… The mayor or prefect can order you to do so. The mayor can decide on a fine of 100 € maximum per day of delay. The total amount of sums required is a maximum of 5,000 euros, informs the site Service-public.

The municipality may also impose an administrative fine of up to €30 per m² not cleared. In addition, you risk a criminal fine from €1,500.

If the fact that you did not clear brush allowed the spread of a fire which destroyed someone else's property, you can be sentenced to up to one year's imprisonment and a fine of €15,000. .

If this concerns your home, your insurer may apply an additional excess of a maximum amount of €5,000.

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