El Cerrito, CA Fire Regulations: Brush Clearance (2026)

Public Resources Code 4291 and California Government Code 51182 require any person who owns, leases, controls, operates, or maintains an occupied dwelling or structure in or adjacent to an SRA or VHFHSZ to maintain 100 feet of defensible space. Zone 0 (ember-resistant zone, 0–5 feet from structures) is now required under AB 3074 and regulations adopted by the State Board of Forestry—no combustible mulch, plants, fences, or stored items touching the home. Zone 1 (5–30 feet) requires lean, clean, and green: remove dead vegetation, space shrubs, trim tree limbs 10 feet from chimneys and 6 feet from the ground. Zone 2 (30–100 feet) requires reduced fuel: grass cut to 4 inches, horizontal and vertical shrub spacing, dead material removed. ConFire conducts mandatory annual exterior hazard inspections in designated hazardous fire areas covering Mount Diablo foothills, Lamorinda ridgelines, Morgan Territory, and the Kensington/El Sobrante hills. Non-compliance notices give 30 days to correct; failure to comply leads to contractor abatement with costs placed as a lien on the property plus administrative penalties of $100 to $500. Violations during fire season may be prosecuted as misdemeanors.