Properties in CalFire State Responsibility Area and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones must maintain 100 feet of defensible space under California PRC §4291. Santa Clara County FireSafe Council and CalFire enforce in foothill unincorporated communities like Saratoga Hills, Los Altos Hills, and Mount Hamilton.
California Public Resources Code §4291 requires 100 feet of defensible space around structures in State Responsibility Areas and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, divided into Zone 0 (0-5 feet, ember-resistant), Zone 1 (5-30 feet, lean and green), and Zone 2 (30-100 feet, reduced fuel). CalFire Santa Clara Unit (CZU) inspects unincorporated foothill parcels above Saratoga, Los Gatos, Cupertino, and Mount Hamilton. The Santa Clara County FireSafe Council coordinates outreach, chipper days, and shaded-fuel-break grants. Owners must remove dead vegetation, prune limbs six feet above the ground, clear roofs and gutters, and limit ornamental plantings within five feet of walls. Santa Clara County Fire Department serves western foothills under contract.
Failure to comply after a 30-day notice triggers force-clearance by CalFire-contracted crews at owner cost, plus a tax-roll lien. Administrative fines start at $100 and escalate to $500 per violation; repeat offenders face misdemeanor citation under PRC §4291.
Mountain View, CA
Most of Mountain View sits outside state-mapped Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, but western hillside areas near open space are treated as elevated risk...
Mountain View, CA
Property owners must maintain defensible space and remove dry vegetation that poses a fire hazard. Mountain View follows Santa Clara County weed and fire aba...
Mountain View, CA
Mountain View encourages California native and low-water plants through its Bay-Friendly landscaping policies and water-efficient landscape ordinance for new...
See how Mountain View's defensible space rules stack up against other locations.
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