Alameda County, CA Fire Regulations: Brush Clearance (2026)
Key Facts
- Legal basis
- PRC 4291
- Defensible space
- 100 feet
- Zone 0
- 0-5 feet ember-resistant
- Zone 1
- 5-30 feet lean clean green
- Grass height
- 4 inches max in Zone 2
Summary
Public Resources Code 4291 requires 100 feet of defensible space around all structures in VHFHSZ and SRA areas of Alameda County, enforced by CAL FIRE and the Alameda County Fire Department.
(a) A person who owns, leases, controls, operates, or maintains a building or structure in the state responsibility area shall at all times do all of the following: (1)(A) Maintain defensible space of 100 feet from each side and from the front and rear of the structure, but not beyond the property line... The intensity of fuels management may vary within the 100-foot perimeter of the structure, with more intense fuel reductions being utilized between 5 and 30 feet around the structure, and an ember-resistant zone being required within 5 feet of the structure. (2) Remove that portion of a tree that extends within 10 feet of the outlet of a chimney or stovepipe.
Full Breakdown
California Public Resources Code Section 4291 mandates that any person who owns, leases, controls, operates, or maintains a building or structure in, upon, or adjoining any mountainous area, forest-covered land, brush-covered land, grass-covered land, or land that is covered with flammable material in an SRA or VHFHSZ must maintain defensible space of 100 feet. Zone 0 (0-5 feet) is the ember-resistant zone requiring non-combustible materials, no bark mulch, and no flammable items against the structure. Zone 1 (5-30 feet) is the lean, clean, and green zone requiring removal of dead vegetation, spacing of plants, and trimming trees 10 feet from chimneys. Zone 2 (30-100 feet) requires grass mowed to 4 inches, shrub spacing, and tree canopy separation. Alameda County Fire Department and CAL FIRE conduct inspections annually, typically May through October. Violations may result in fines and county abatement with costs assessed to the property. Sunol, Castro Valley, Fairview, and Oakland Hills are priority inspection areas.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do inspections occur?
What happens if I fail inspection?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Alameda County
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