Brush Clearance: Bay Hill vs Orlando

Orange County requires property owners to maintain defensible space around structures in wildfire-prone areas. Grass, palmetto, and pine litter must be cleared under County Code Chapter 9 nuisance abatement.

Orlando does not have a Western-style defensible space ordinance, but property owners must keep yards free of overgrown vegetation, dead trees, and accumulated dry plant debris under City Code nuisance and lot-maintenance provisions. The Florida Forest Service recommends Firewise practices in wildland-urban interface neighborhoods, especially during the dry season (typically January through May). Code enforcement may require clearance of dry brush, palm fronds, and dead palmetto adjacent to structures.