Santa Barbara County, CA Fire Regulations: Brush Clearance (2026)

Defensible space is the core wildfire-survival requirement in unincorporated Santa Barbara County, enforced by County Fire under California Public Resources Code (PRC) section 4291 and the County's vegetation management ordinances. The County's Defensible Space Program states that, using surface measurements, clearance from all structures shall not be less than 100 feet or to your property line, whichever is closer. Within that 100-foot zone, individual trees and shrubs must be spaced a minimum of 10 to 15 feet apart, both horizontally and vertically, from other specimens, structures, or surrounding native brush.

Chimneys require a 10-foot clearance from trees. Access roads and driveways must have a minimum 10-foot clearance on each side of the traveled way, with overhead vegetation trimmed to a minimum height of 13 feet 6 inches so fire apparatus can pass. County Fire conducts more than 15,500 defensible space inspections each year, evaluating vegetation, building construction materials, fire department access, address visibility, water supply, and other hazards. Inspectors give property owners roughly three weeks to bring their property into compliance with the notice. These standards apply throughout the State Responsibility Area (SRA) and the Local Responsibility Area (LRA), and disclosure of a compliant defensible-space inspection meeting PRC 4291 or the County's vegetation management ordinance is required when selling property in a designated fire hazard severity zone (on and after July 1, 2021).