Merced County, CA Fire Regulations: Brush Clearance (2026)

Vegetation and debris clearance in unincorporated Merced County is governed by Merced County Code Chapter 9.25 (Fire Hazard Abatement), enacted under California Health & Safety Code Sections 14930-14931. Section 9.25.010 states that it is the duty of every owner of real property in the unincorporated area to prevent the fire hazards or nuisances described in the chapter. Section 9.25.040 defines fire hazards to include dry grass, stubble, brush, litter, and flammable materials in or adjacent to urbanized areas; sagebrush, chaparral, and heavy brush growth; accumulations of garden refuse and combustible trash; and poison oak or ivy that poses a health menace. A designee of the county fire chief is appointed to administer and enforce the chapter, with authority to order abatement and, if the owner fails to act, to abate the hazard and recover costs. Specific clearance distances are not fixed in the chapter; in practice the enforcing officer applies the standard based on the hazard and surroundings. Separately, any parcel that falls within a State Responsibility Area is subject to the statewide 100-foot defensible-space standard under Public Resources Code 4291, enforced by CAL FIRE. Most of Merced County is valley-floor agricultural land with limited wildfire exposure, but grassland in the eastern foothills toward the Mariposa County line carries higher risk, so clearing dry vegetation before fire season is strongly advised.