Hayward, CA Fire Regulations: Brush Clearance (2026)
Key Facts
- Requirement
- 100 ft defensible space
- Applies to
- VHFHSZ parcels
- Zone 0
- Ember-resistant, no combustibles
- Grass height
- Under 4 inches
- Inspections
- Annual, late spring
Summary
Properties in the Hayward hills Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone must maintain 100 feet of defensible space under California Public Resources Code 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
Properties located in Hayward's east hillside Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (VHFHSZ) designated by CAL FIRE must comply with California Public Resources Code Section 4291, requiring 100 feet of defensible space around structures. Zone 0 (0-5 feet, the ember-resistant zone) must be kept free of combustible vegetation, mulch, and stored materials. Zone 1 (5-30 feet) requires lean, clean, and green landscaping with trimmed grass under 4 inches, tree limbs 10 feet from chimneys, and no dead debris. Zone 2 (30-100 feet) requires reduced fuel with horizontal and vertical spacing between shrubs and trees. Hayward Fire conducts annual inspections starting in late spring; non-compliant properties receive a notice and can be abated at owner expense with liens placed on the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if I am in the VHFHSZ?
What happens if I do not clear?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hayward
California rules heatmap·Compare Hayward to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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