Don’t delay in clearing your land.
This good practice is one of the best ways to avoid fires during the summer or limit their spread.
“Autumn and winter are the best times to clear brush around your home,” assures the Department of Legal and Administrative Information.
At this time of year, plants, deprived of their leaves, are in fact easier to prune and cuts have a less significant impact on their development.
A legal obligation in certain territories
Faced with global warming and the fires which ravage thousands of hectares in France each year, the government launched an interministerial information campaign in November 2023 to remind people of the legal obligations for clearing.
Because in certain areas where the risk of forest fires is significant, not clearing your garden can result in
an administrative or even criminal sanction.
Read alsoClearing: our complete guide to this practice and its rules
This operation, to be carried out every year, consists of “reducing the mass of plant matter of all kinds on land (grass, branches, leaves, etc.)”, we can read on the administration website.
But not just anyhow: we must create “discontinuities between tall vegetation (shrubs and trees) and low vegetation (grasses, plants, etc.), between plants of the same size, and between plants and buildings” .
It is these discontinuities that
will reduce the risk of fire
or slow its spread.
Properly done clearing protects your home.
You can take refuge there in the event of a fire.
“Generally speaking, the less combustible material present, the less powerful the fire will be.”
Instructions for successful clearing
Here are the instructions to follow for
effective clearing
:
Remove shrubs located under trees;
Cut branches or trees in contact with your house;
Reduce the mass of plants present on the ground;
Trim your hedges;
Prune low tree branches;
Do not keep green waste from clearing.
If you don't have the necessary equipment or don't feel capable of doing it yourself, don't hesitate to call a professional.
Here are 3 inexpensive tools to help you clear brush:
EasyCut Gardena hedge trimmers, ready-to-use kit for less than €90;
Scheppach 4-in-1 thermal brush cutter for less than €140;
Grüntek telescopic branch cutter shears at the price of €54.99.
Some links are tracked and may generate a commission for Le Parisien.
Prices are given for information purposes only and are subject to change.