Chino Hills, CA Fire Regulations: Brush Clearance (2026)

Weed abatement and brush clearance in Chino Hills are enforced by the Chino Valley Independent Fire District (CVFD); the city's weed-abatement work operates under the District's direct supervision. The CVFD Weed Abatement Guide sets specific standards. For all parcels: parcels less than five acres must have all weeds abated throughout the entire parcel (disking is preferred, but mowing or weed-whacking to a maximum height of four inches is acceptable). Parcels greater than five acres require a minimum 100-foot fire break around the perimeter (mowed or disked to less than four inches), which may be widened for topography or fuel type; intersecting roadways need 20 feet of clearance on each side and power poles need 10 feet. Parcels must be maintained year-round, free of weeds, tumbleweeds and combustible vegetation. The District concentrates inspections into a Spring cycle (first week of May) and a Fall cycle (first week of September) but may inspect any parcel anytime. Properties in the Fire Hazard Overlay District (designated by the City under Municipal Code Chapter 16.22 and including the Vellano, Ridgegate and Carbon Canyon communities) have additional Defensible Space Requirements: remove dead palm fronds, dead/dying vegetation, leaves and pine needles; clear combustibles under decks; keep tree canopies at least 10 feet apart (or three times the tree's size); maintain 6 feet of vertical clearance under branches (or 1/3 of tree height, whichever is less); and trim trees back 10 feet from chimneys. These local rules supplement California's defensible-space law (Government Code 51182 and Public Resources Code 4291) for very high fire hazard areas.