Fontana, CA Fire Regulations: Brush Clearance (2026)
Key Facts
- Foothill defensible space
- 100 feet required under PRC 4291 in VHFHSZ
- Zone 0 ember zone
- First 5 feet must be ember-resistant per AB 3074
- Annual inspection
- Weed abatement begins late April each year
- Noncompliance cost
- City contractor abates; lien placed on property tax bill
- Typical abatement charge
- 500 dollars and up plus administrative fees
Summary
Fontana foothill parcels must maintain 100 feet of defensible space under PRC 4291. Citywide weed abatement is enforced annually each spring with cost-recovery liens on noncompliant parcels.
4291. (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, except as provided in subparagraph (B). The amount of fuel modification necessary shall consider the flammability of the structure as affected by building material, building standards, location, and type of vegetation. Fuels shall be maintained and spaced in a condition so that a wildfire would be unlikely to ignite the structure. This subparagraph does not apply to single specimens of trees or other vegetation that are well-pruned and maintained so as to effectively manage fuels and not form a means of rapidly transmitting fire from other nearby vegetation to a structure or from a structure to other nearby vegetation or to interrupt the advance of embers toward a structure. 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, based on regulations promulgated by the board, in consultation with the department, to consider the elimination of materials in the ember-resistant zone that would likely be ignited by embers.
(2) Remove that portion of a tree that extends within 10 feet of the outlet of a chimney or stovepipe.
(3) Maintain a tree, shrub, or other plant adjacent to or overhanging a building free of dead or dying wood.
(4) Maintain the roof of a structure free of leaves, needles, or other vegetative materials.
Full Breakdown
Portions of Fontana north of Sierra Avenue and along the San Gabriel Mountain foothills lie within or directly adjacent to State Responsibility Area and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones mapped by CAL FIRE. On those parcels, California Public Resources Code 4291 and Government Code 51182 require property owners to create and maintain 100 feet of defensible space around any habitable structure: a 30-foot Zone 1 of intensively maintained landscaping free of dry vegetation and tree litter, and a 30-to-100-foot Zone 2 of reduced fuel with trimmed shrubs and spaced trees.
Under AB 3074, the first 5 feet around a structure (Zone 0) should be kept ember-resistant - no combustible mulch, wood fencing attaching directly to the house, or stored wood. Throughout the rest of the city, Fontana Municipal Code weed abatement provisions require every parcel to be kept free of dry grass, weeds, rubbish, and combustible debris that create a fire hazard. The Fontana Code Enforcement Division, working with SBCoFD, conducts an annual weed inspection program beginning in late April. Owners receive a notice to abate; if the property is not cleared within the deadline (typically 30 days), the city hires a contractor to clear the lot and records the cost as a special assessment lien on the property tax bill, often exceeding 500 dollars plus administrative fees. Repeat offenders face escalating fines and potential misdemeanor charges.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my Fontana home need 100 feet of defensible space?
When does the Fontana weed abatement program start?
What happens if I do not clear my lot after a weed notice?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fontana
California rules heatmap·Compare Fontana to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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