# Brush clearing and wildfire rules in Grasse

> Brush clearing and legal wildfire clearance (OLD) in Grasse and on the French Riviera: undergrowth, dead wood, pruned trees. Free quote.

Page : https://margouillat-elagage.com/en/brush-clearing
Business : Margouillat Élagage — Cédric Grondin, certified tree climber, member of the French Arboriculture Society (SFA).

Around Grasse, many homes sit close to woods and scrubland. Clearing brush protects your house from fire, and it's a legal obligation. Cédric takes care of it while keeping your fine trees.

## When is brush clearing needed?

- Your land is in woodland or scrub, or less than 200 m from it
- Undergrowth, dry grass and dead wood are piling up around the house
- Trees touch the roof or their low branches reach the ground
- You've received a letter from the town hall about your obligations

## How the work is done

1. **Spot what needs to go** — Undergrowth, dead wood, trees too close together or too close to the house: we assess it on site, with the rules that apply to your land.
2. **Clear the brush** — Undergrowth and dry grass are cut, dead wood removed.
3. **Prune and thin** — Low branches raised, crowded trees thinned, branches over the roof removed, with reasoned pruning: healthy trees are kept.
4. **Remove or chip** — Green waste is taken away or chipped: nothing dry is left behind.

## Good to know

- In areas exposed to forest fires, the French Forestry Code requires brush clearing around buildings, usually over 50 m. The mayor can extend this to 100 m.
- The technical rules (tree spacing, pruning height, distance from the house) are set by prefectoral order in the Alpes-Maritimes. Your town hall can tell you whether your land is concerned.
- Clearing doesn't mean stripping: well-kept land keeps its trees, simply spaced out and cleared.
- The right time: before summer, when the fire risk rises.

## Frequently asked questions

### Do I have to clear brush?

If your land is in an area exposed to forest fires (woods, forests, scrub, or within 200 m of them), yes: it's a legal obligation for the owner, usually over 50 m around buildings. Your town hall can tell you whether you're concerned.

### Do all the trees have to go?

No. The rules mainly require spacing trees out, raising low branches and clearing around the house. Cédric keeps healthy trees and only cuts what's necessary.

### When should brush be cleared?

Ideally before summer, ahead of the fire season. Yearly upkeep stops the undergrowth from coming back.

## Contact

- Phone: +33616264893 (Monday to Friday, 7 am – 8 pm)
- Email: Margouillat.Elagage@hotmail.com
- Area: Grasse and the whole French Riviera (Grasse, Mouans-Sartoux, Mougins, Valbonne, Cannes, Antibes, Nice…)
- Online visit request: https://margouillat-elagage.com/en/services#devis (homeowners), https://margouillat-elagage.com/en/business#devis (businesses). Cédric calls back to arrange a visit; the free quote is prepared on site.