Your legal duties next to forest land (interfaz urbano-forestal)

Key rules

• Your duty: As owner of a home or plot next to forest land, you must keep it cleared to the local standard.
• Dates: Deadlines vary by region and town, with 1 June and 15 June common, so confirm yours.
• Town hall powers: If you ignore a clearing order, the authority can clear your plot and bill you, on top of any fine.
• Local rules: Widths, dates and fines come from your regional decree and town ordinance, not one national figure.

The short version

If your home or plot is in or next to forest land, clearing it is your job as the owner. You must keep vegetation cleared to the standard and by the dates that apply where you live. If you don't, the town hall can fine you, or clear the plot and bill you. The details are set by each region and each municipality, so the exact figures and dates for your plot come from local rules.

Who is responsible

Owners of buildings and plots are responsible for their own land. A national forest law sets the framework. Each region then has its own forest-fire law and decrees with the real detail. Galicia, Catalonia, Valencia and Andalucía all set their own widths and deadlines. Your town may add an ordinance on top.

In an urbanización with a community or an entidad urbanística de conservación, that body must maintain the common areas. You still clear your own plot. The town hall clears public land and enforces the rules.

What clearing usually means

Standards differ by region, so treat these as typical figures and confirm yours:

• A cleared strip around buildings, commonly 25 to 30 metres.
• Trees pruned up to about 2 to 3 metres from the ground, or to a third of their height.
• Dry vegetation, brush and dead wood removed.
• Gaps between trees so crowns don't touch, often 3 to 5 metres.
• Grass kept short, often under 20 to 30 cm.
• Firebreaks along roads, often 3 to 5 metres wide.

When you must finish

Deadlines come before the high-danger summer period. Many towns ask for clearing by around 1 June or 15 June. Some Catalan towns ask for it before spring or before 1 June. Galicia sets its own dates. Some regions simply require your plot to be clear all year. Check your own date with your town hall, because it can differ from these examples.

If you don't clear

Fines are graded as minor, serious and very serious. Failing to clear is usually minor or serious. Minor fines run to hundreds of euros and serious ones to thousands. The amount depends on the risk and any damage.

The town hall or regional authority can also do the work itself and send you the bill. The usual order is a notice to clear within a set period, a warning, then the authority clearing the plot. Unpaid bills can be collected by force, and extra fines may apply. Procedure varies by town and region.

Urbanizaciones and larger developments

Housing next to forest land often carries extra duties, set by the region. Typical ones are:

• A self-protection plan approved by the regional authority or the town hall.
• A perimeter firebreak, often 25 to 50 metres wide, kept up by the owners' community or the town hall.
• Access roads wide enough for fire engines, with turning space, and where possible two exits.
• Hydrants or water tanks at set spacing.

If you are buying into an urbanización, ask the community which of these exist and who pays for them.

How to find your local rules

1. Search your town hall's website for "ordenanza" with "limpieza de solares", "prevención de incendios" or "parcelas".
2. Check the provincial and regional official gazettes, and your region's environment website for the fire-prevention decree.
3. If you find nothing, ask the town hall's environment, urbanism or police office, or the local forest agents.

The timeline, checklist, warnings and FAQ below cover the dates, the steps and the common pitfalls.

Timeline and deadlines

• Find your town's clearing ordinance and regional rules: before the start of the high-danger season

• Finish clearing your plot to the required standard: by around 1 June or 15 June in many Mediterranean and interior municipalities, before the high-danger period

• Clear before spring or before 1 June where your Catalan town asks for it: before spring or before 1 June, depending on the town

• Follow your region's own dates, as in Galicia: on the dates your region sets

• Keep your plot clear all year where the rule is continuous: all year, in regions that require continuous compliance

• Comply with a clearing order from the authority: within the period set in the order, before the authority clears at your cost

Confirm your exact clearing date with your town hall or regional environment office.

Checklist

• Ask for your clearing deadline, which is often around 1 June or 15 June.

• Ask the exact width of the cleared strip around your house, commonly 25 to 30 metres.

• Prune trees up to about 2 to 3 metres from the ground, or to a third of their height, and remove dry brush and dead wood.

• Keep tree crowns apart, often 3 to 5 metres, and keep grass short, often under 20 to 30 cm.

• Ask what the fines are for not clearing in your region and town.

• Ask your urbanización community about the self-protection plan, the perimeter strip, access roads and water points.

What to watch out for

• Missing the clearing date: Clearing is due before the high-danger period, often around 1 June or 15 June, and some regions require it all year. Missing it exposes you to fines. Ask your town hall for your exact date and finish clearing well before it.

• Fines for not clearing: Fines are graded as minor, serious and very serious. Failing to clear is usually minor or serious, with fines from hundreds to thousands of euros depending on damage and risk. Clear to the standard your region and town require, and ask the town hall about fine levels.

• The town clears your plot and bills you: If you ignore an order to clear, the town hall or regional authority can do the work itself and charge you. Unpaid costs can be recovered by force, with fines on top. Act on any clearing order within the period it sets, and ask the town hall if you cannot meet it.

Frequently asked questions

Can the town hall clear my plot and send me the bill?

Yes, the town hall or regional authority can clear your plot itself and bill you for the cost if you ignore an order. It usually starts with an order to clear within a set period and a warning.

Who clears the common areas in an urbanización?

The owners' community or the conservation body of the urbanización must maintain the common areas. You still clear your own plot. Urbanizaciones next to forest land often also need a self-protection plan, a cleared strip around the edge, access roads wide enough for fire engines and water points.

How serious are the fines for not clearing my plot?

Failing to clear is usually graded as a minor or serious offence, with minor fines in the hundreds of euros and serious ones in the thousands. The amount depends on the damage and the risk. Your region and town hall set the exact figures.