Since April 1st, the mandatory cleaning of properties and uncovered areas has begun for the new fire prevention season, and must be completed by June 15th, with maintenance of the areas required until October 31st. The cleaning regulations require that property owners, tenants or usufructuaries must remove dead trees, branches, dry grass, shrub vegetation and other flammable materials. The mandatory declaration of cleaning work must be submitted to the National Registry for Preventive Fire Protection Measures for Properties by June 15th.
Read: Uncleaned properties: What you need to watch out for – Fines up to €5,000
Uncleaned properties: What is required
a) Tree cutting and removal of dead and broken trees and branches, as well as branches that are in direct contact with buildings.
b) Removal of combustible plant material found on the ground surface such as leaf litter, dry grass and fallen dry branches.
c) Pruning the base of tree crowns and increasing the height of their starting point from the ground surface, depending on the age and species of the tree.
d) Thinning of shrub vegetation in terms of ground coverage.
e) Removal of any other abandoned combustible, flammable, explosive or fire-hazardous materials, objects and waste.
Exempted from this obligation are: landscaped, maintained gardens or planted surfaces of uncovered areas of buildings, apartment blocks, etc.
Those responsible must ensure the safe collection and transport of all cleaning residues. Abandoning, disposing of or uncontrolled management of these materials is prohibited.
These are the fines
For those required to comply who do not submit the declaration, the following penalties apply:
a fine of five hundred (500) euros if they have not carried out cleaning activities,
a fine of one hundred (100) euros if they have carried out cleaning.
Submitting a false declaration to the Registry is punishable by a monetary penalty of five thousand (5,000) euros and imprisonment of at least six months.
In cases of inability to submit a declaration, such as due to objective inability to use electronic services, age, disability or force majeure, as determined by joint decision, the declaration is submitted physically at the relevant Citizens’ Service Center or at the locally competent fire service and sent at their discretion to the Preventive Fire Protection Directorate.
In any case of non-compliance by those required to fulfill the cleaning and maintenance obligation throughout the fire prevention period, the following is imposed or charged respectively in full to the obligated party/parties by the Municipality:
a fine of €1.00 per square meter with a minimum amount of two hundred (200) euros and a maximum amount of two thousand (2,000) euros and
the cost of cleaning the area and removing materials, if the Municipality proceeds to clean the area.
