Legal obligation
Brush-clearing (OLD): the requirement that saves homes
It is the most effective preventive measure there is — and a legal obligation In at-risk areas: clear the undergrowth within 50 metres of your home. The evidence is clear: the vast majority of homes that were destroyed had not been cleared of undergrowth, or had been cleared inadequately. Find out everything you need to know in four guides and one tool.
Key points
- In areas at risk, clearing undergrowth is compulsory in areas situated within 200 metres of woodland and forests (Forest Code).
- The basic rule : 50 metres around buildings (extendable to 100 metres), plus a strip along the access routes.
- It is the occupant of the property who is responsible for clearing the undergrowth — even if it extends onto the neighbour’s land.
- Stricter penalties since 2023: an administrative fine of up to €50 per square metre, and an increased insurance excess of up to €5,000.
- Since 1 January 2025, sellers and landlords have been required to inform buyers and tenants of this obligation.
Why this is THE measure that matters
The aim of brush-clearing is not to ‘ mow down ’ the vegetation, but to to break the fuel continuity : when the fire reaches an area where the undergrowth has been cleared, it loses its intensity, spreads along the ground, and the house — no longer threatened by the flammable hedge or direct heat — becomes defendable. In practical terms :
And here’s a little-known fact: a cleared plot also protects the fire brigade who would come to defend your home and your downwind neighbours. It is as much an act of solidarity as it is one of self-interest.
The OLD guides
Understanding the OLD
Who is affected, the exact distances, at a neighbour’s property, in urban areas, what the Forestry Code says — without the jargon.
Read ToolCheck my obligation
Enter your address: the tool queries the official IGN database (data.gouv.fr) and tells you whether your plot is in a regulated area — including a map and a 50-metre radius.
Clearing my undergrowth
What to cut, what to keep, when, with what, at what cost — and what to do with garden waste.
Read SanctionsPenalties and checks
Formal notices, fines, enforcement proceedings, insurance excesses, property sales: what you really stand to lose.
ReadThe three fact sheets that will get your project back on track
Measuring a 50-metre radius
Mark out the exact outline on the map before cutting.
Writing to a neighbour
When a customer’s shopping basket overflows at home: the standard letter to protect you.
Read €0.30–1 per square metreChoosing a brush cutter
Quotes, actual prices, tax credits, scams to avoid.
ReadWhat has changed recently
Act No. 2023-580 strengthens the entire framework: the administrative fine has been increased to 50 €/m², penalty payments, better coordination with town planning documents, and mandatory disclosure requirements for sales and lettings.
Implementing decrees: procedures for providing information to buyers and tenants, details of the areas concerned and the content of the risk assessment.
The disclosure requirement comes into force: the property listings must specify the OLD and the risk status associated with it in the relevant fields.
Inspections are becoming more frequent after every harsh season — and insurers are applying the higher excess. The ‘out of sight, out of mind’ approach is on its last legs: it’s best to be in compliance by spring.
The risk changes every day. So do your reflexes.
Check the fire alert status for your department, keep track of current fires and report a fire via the Feux de Forêt mobile app.