Santa Monica Environmental Rules: Defensible Space Rules (2026)

California Public Resources Code §4291 mandates 100 feet of defensible space around structures in State Responsibility and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, broken into Zone 0 (0–5 ft, ember-resistant), Zone 1 (5–30 ft, lean-clean-green), and Zone 2 (30–100 ft, reduced fuel). LA County Fire Code Title 32 §4906 incorporates and locally enforces these standards through the LACoFD Forestry Division's Brush Clearance Unit. Inspectors run an annual cycle each spring, mailing notices to roughly 70,000 hillside parcels in unincorporated areas and contract cities. Owners must remove dead vegetation, prune trees six feet from chimneys, clear roofs and gutters, and limit ornamental plantings within five feet of walls.