Clark County recommends a 30-foot defensible space cleared of flammable vegetation around your house, with firewood and combustible debris moved at least 30 feet uphill. Washington's Wildland-Urban Interface Code sets 30, 50 or 100 feet by hazard level.
Clark County wildfire-prevention guidance advises creating a 30-foot clear defensible space around the home, the area where vegetation is modified or removed to reduce fire threat. Homeowners should remove tall dry grasses and leaf accumulations, clear roofs and gutters, and relocate firewood and combustible debris at least 30 feet uphill. Washington adopted the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (effective Oct. 29, 2023), which sets defensible space by hazard: 30 feet for moderate, 50 feet for high and 100 feet for extreme hazard. The county sets no blanket clearance mandate for existing lots; requirements attach to new WUI construction and to city ordinances.
Failure to maintain defensible space on new WUI-permitted construction can block final inspection; existing-lot clearance is advisory unless a city ordinance mandates it.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
clark-county-wa
Clark County encourages backyard composting and runs free workshops, We Compost community food-waste hubs, and a Composter Recycler program. Optional every-o...
clark-county-wa
Clark County has no ordinance banning residential artificial turf, and homeowners may install it in their yards. In development-regulated landscaping, county...
clark-county-wa
Clark County actively encourages native landscaping. Its development code favors compatibility with existing native vegetation and drought-resistant planting...
clark-county-wa
Rainwater harvesting is legal in Clark County and statewide. Washington's Department of Ecology exempts on-site rooftop rainwater collection from water-right...
clark-county-wa
Clark County itself imposes no countywide lawn-watering schedule. Water is delivered by local utilities and districts, chiefly Clark Public Utilities, which ...
clark-county-wa
Washington's RCW 17.10 requires every property owner to eradicate Class A noxious weeds and control designated Class B and listed Class C weeds. The Clark Co...
See how Clark County's brush clearance rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.