Tehama County, CA Fire Regulations: Brush Clearance (2026)

Most of Tehama County's foothill, Cascade, and Coast Range terrain is a State Responsibility Area (SRA) where CAL FIRE has wildfire-protection responsibility. Under California Public Resources Code section 4291, any person who owns, leases, or controls a building or structure in, upon, or adjoining mountainous land, forest-covered, brush-covered, or grass-covered land must maintain defensible space of 100 feet from each structure (or to the property line). CAL FIRE describes this as three zones: Zone 0, the 0–5 foot ember-resistant zone closest to the home (noncombustible surfaces, no bark or mulch, no flammable vegetation); Zone 1, 5–30 feet, the 'lean, clean, and green' zone with dead vegetation removed and plants well spaced; and Zone 2, 30–100 feet, the reduced-fuel zone where grass is mowed to a maximum of 4 inches, dead vegetation and fallen leaves are removed, and trees and shrubs are spaced horizontally and vertically to break up ladder fuels. The Resource Conservation District of Tehama County runs a Defensible Space Assistance Program offering no-cost help to residents within the county's SRA, Local Responsibility Area, and Wildland-Urban Interface zones rated Medium, High, or Very High fire hazard. CAL FIRE inspects defensible space in the SRA; local fire agencies may inspect in LRA areas.