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

California Public Resources Code Section 4291 requires owners of buildings in, upon, or adjoining mountainous, forest-covered, brush-covered, or grass-covered land - which describes much of inland Mendocino County - to maintain defensible space of 100 feet from each structure (or to the property line). The law establishes graduated zones: more intense fuel reduction between 5 and 30 feet around the structure, and an ember-resistant zone within 5 feet of the structure where materials likely to ignite from embers must be eliminated. Owners must also remove tree branches within 10 feet of a chimney or stovepipe outlet, keep trees and plants free of dead or dying wood, and keep roofs clear of leaves and needles. Local ordinances, state law, or insurers may require greater distances, but clearance is not required beyond the property line, and work on a neighbor's property needs written consent. CAL FIRE Mendocino Unit conducts defensible space inspections in the SRA. The requirement carries heightened weight here given the 2017 Redwood Complex and 2018 Mendocino Complex fires; CAL FIRE's 2025 Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps classify thousands of acres of unincorporated land, much of it near Ukiah and Willits, as very high hazard.