Land cleaning is an essential measure to prevent forest fires and ensure the safety of populations. Every year, the government establishes deadlines for owners, lease or usufructuaries to manage fuel on their land, reducing the plant load that can feed fireworks.
The deadline for mandatory land cleaning ends, as a rule, on April 30. However, in 2024, the government extended the period until May 31. There is still no confirmation that the extension of the deadline is repeated this year, so it is essential to comply with the legislation within the established period.
Who is responsible for cleaning the land?
The responsibility for cleaning land depends on their location and the type of infrastructure present:
- Owners, tenants or usufructuaries – are responsible for cleaning around dwellings, shipyards, factories and other buildings em ruralensuring a security range of 50 metros.
- Municipalities – They must guarantee the cleaning of municipal land and may intervene in private land if the owners do not comply with the legislation.
- Energy and Transport Companies – They are responsible for maintaining fuel management ranges with electrical poles and cables, roads, iron paths and pipelines.
If the cleaning is not performed on time, the city councils may take the management of private land, and the owners are required to pay the costs of the operation.
How should clean?
The legislation defines specific rules for fuel management:
- 50 -meter range around housing and isolated buildings.
- Mandatory herb and bush cut to reduce the risk of fire propagation.
- Tree and shrub removal that are less than 5 meters from the building.
- Bran’s pruning up to 4 meters from the ground to avoid the spread of fire.
- Minimum distance between trees of 4 metros (or 10 meters in the case of pines and eucalyptus).
For population clusters, industrial parks and landfills, the mandatory cleaning range is 100 meters.
There are exceptions to these rules, namely for maintained gardens and active agricultural areas, as well as for protected species such as cork oak and azinheira, whose cut lacks authorization from the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF).
SUPERVISION AND FULMS
From May 1st, the lands of GNR and Civil Protection begin, with special attention to the 998 priority parishes defined by the government. Between May and June, the inspection will focus on:
- Land nearby Housing and Infrastructure.
- Protection ranges throughout roads, iron paths and electric lines.
Failure to default can result in the application of fines ranging from 280 euros to 5,000 euros for unique persons and between 3,000 euros and 25,000 euros for companies.
If you are aware of land for cleaning, you can contact the City Council, or call 808 200 520.
Additional protection measures for housing
In addition to mandatory land cleaning, there are complementary measures that can reduce the risk of fire in forest areas:
- Create a paved security range Around the house.
- Avoid storing firewood and flammable materials next to the dwellings.
- install spar -retention networks in chimneys.
- Clean roofs and calers regularly.
- Guarantee the existence of hoses and irrigation systems functional.
With the increased risk of fires in the hottest months, the timely cleaning of land not only avoids sanctions, but also protects lives and goods, reducing fire spread and facilitating the work of firefighters in an emergency.
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