Hayward, CA Environmental Rules: Defensible Space (2026)

01, enforced by the Fire Prevention Bureau within the Fire Department (Sec. 02). The code applies to the area the City designates as the Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area: land east of Mission Boulevard from the south side of D Street to the city limits at Union City, mapped by the Fire Chief (Sec. 202 amendment). 1 sets two specific construction standards for defensible space around a structure: fences built within ten feet of a structure must use open wire mesh or noncombustible material so a fire cannot spread to the building through the fencing, and any chimney must be located at least ten feet from existing tree canopies to keep sparks away from vegetation.

These local hardening rules apply on top of, not instead of, the state vegetation-clearance requirement in Public Resources Code Section 4291, which separately governs brush and vegetation clearance around structures statewide. Permits under the WUI Code follow the same appeal path as other fire code decisions: an applicant denied a permit may appeal to the City Manager (Sec. 05), and fees are set by City Council resolution with permits valid for one year unless the permit states otherwise (Sec. 06). The WUI Code was added by Ordinance 25-15, adopted December 2, 2025.