Los Banos, CA Environmental Rules: Defensible Space (2026)

06(a)(1)(F) of the Municipal Code, part of the Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance adopted by Ordinance 1156, requires that any landscape design plan for a project in a fire-prone area address fire safety and prevention specifically. The section states that a defensible space or zone around a building or structure is required per Public Resources Code Section 4291(a) and (b), and it directs applicants to avoid fire-prone plant materials and highly flammable mulches and to refer to the local Fuel Modification Plan guidelines. 06, including plant selection, soil preparation and mulch standards.

The section also cross-references the City's local Fuel Modification Plan Guidelines, meaning a project in a designated fire hazard severity zone can face additional plant and mulch restrictions beyond the base ordinance. Public Works reviews the landscape design plan and Landscape Documentation Package for this fire-safety content before signing off, and the requirement applies on top of, not instead of, the state defensible-space clearance duties property owners already carry under Public Resources Code Section 4291.