Property owners in unincorporated Sacramento County must maintain 100 ft defensible space per Public Resources Code 4291 in designated fire hazard zones, especially in foothill and Delta WUI areas. Metro Fire and Cal Fire inspect annually.
PRC 4291 requires 100 feet of defensible space around structures in State Responsibility Areas and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. Sacramento County has VHFHSZ parcels in the eastern foothills toward Folsom Lake and along portions of the Delta. Zone 0 (0 to 5 ft) requires ember-resistant landscaping with no combustible materials against the home. Zone 1 (5 to 30 ft) requires lean, clean, and green landscaping. Zone 2 (30 to 100 ft) requires reduced fuels, 10 ft spacing between tree canopies, and grass mowed to 4 inches or less. Metro Fire District conducts inspections May through October. Failure to comply can result in county abatement with costs placed as a lien.
Notice to abate issued first. Noncompliance results in county or fire district clearing the parcel and billing the owner, plus administrative fines starting at 100 dollars and escalating to 500 dollars per violation. Lien recorded against the property if unpaid.
Sacramento County, CA
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Sacramento County, CA
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Sacramento County, CA
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See how Sacramento County's brush clearance rules stack up against other locations.
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