Bishop, CA Fire Regulations: Brush Clearance (2026)

Most of unincorporated Inyo County is State Responsibility Area protected by the CAL FIRE San Bernardino-Inyo-Mono Unit, so the statewide defensible-space law applies. California Public Resources Code Section 4291 requires a person who owns, leases, controls, operates, or maintains a building or structure in, upon, or adjoining land covered with flammable material in the State Responsibility Area to maintain defensible space of 100 feet from each side and from the front and rear of the structure, but not beyond the property line (greater distances can be required by other law). The law establishes graduated zones: an ember-resistant zone close to the structure where materials likely to be ignited by embers are removed, an area of more intense fuel reduction between 5 and 30 feet, and reduced-fuel management from 30 to 100 feet. The standard is that fuels are maintained and spaced so a wildfire is unlikely to ignite the structure. CAL FIRE recommendations include cutting annual grass to no more than four inches and removing dead vegetation, leaf litter, and ladder fuels. Inyo County's Community Wildfire Protection Plan identifies at-risk Eastern Sierra communities, and the CAL FIRE / State Fire Marshal Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps classify portions of the county's wildland-urban interface as High and Very High.