Hercules, CA Fire Regulations: Brush Clearance (2026)

Hercules doesn't need a freestanding 'brush clearance' ordinance because Chapter 10 of Title 4, Nuisance Abatement, already reaches unmanaged brush and vegetation on any parcel in the city, occupied or vacant. Section 4-10.01 adopts this chapter under Government Code Section 38771 et seq. as an alternate enforcement track to abating nuisances, and Section 4-10.02 makes it applicable to any condition the Code, a City ordinance, a Council resolution or state statute defines as a nuisance, plus the specific list in Section 4-10.04.

That list singles out brush and vegetation twice. Subsection (f) declares overgrown vegetation a public nuisance when it is likely to harbor rats, vermin or other pests, causes detriment to neighboring properties, or causes a fire hazard. Subsection (g) separately reaches dead, decayed, diseased or hazardous trees, weeds and other vegetation that endanger public safety or damage nearby property. Either finding is enough on its own to trigger abatement.

Once the Enforcement Officer identifies the nuisance, Section 4-10.06 requires written notice to the property owner of record, served personally, by first-class mail to the address on the last equalized assessment roll, or (if neither works) by newspaper publication plus a posted 8-1/2" x 11" notice on the property. That notice must describe the property by address and assessor's parcel number, identify the nuisance, and set an abatement window of no less than fifteen and no more than thirty days. Section 4-10.03 keeps the property owner on the hook even when a tenant or occupant also has responsibility for maintaining the lot. Ignoring the abatement order lets the City rehabilitate, remove or otherwise abate the brush itself and recover its costs from the owner under Section 4-10.05.