Properties in Oakland's Wildfire Prevention Assessment District and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone must maintain 100 feet of defensible space under California Public Resources Code Β§4291, including a 0β5 foot ember-resistant zone, 5β30 foot lean/clean/green zone, and 30β100 foot reduced-fuel zone. Oakland Fire Department conducts annual inspections of Hills parcels and issues correction notices with abatement deadlines.
Brush clearance in Oakland is governed by California Public Resources Code Β§4291 (defensible space) and enforced locally by the Oakland Fire Department Vegetation Management Unit. The requirement applies to any structure located in or adjacent to a State Responsibility Area or Local Responsibility Area Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone β which in Oakland covers most of the Hills above the 580 freeway. Owners must maintain defensible space extending 100 feet from all buildings, or to the property line, in three concentric zones. Zone 0 (0β5 feet) is the ember-resistant zone under AB 3074 and must be free of combustible mulch, vegetation touching siding, wood fences attached to the home, and stored combustibles. Zone 1 (5β30 feet) requires lean, clean, and green: regular irrigation, no dead material, pruned trees, and 10 feet of horizontal separation between tree canopies and structures. Zone 2 (30β100 feet) requires reduced fuel loads, grass cut to 4 inches or less, spacing between shrubs, and ladder fuels removed from trees. Oakland's Vegetation Management Plan, adopted after the 1991 Tunnel Fire, supplements state requirements with specific rules on eucalyptus, pine, and acacia removal, and funds additional inspections through the Wildfire Prevention Assessment District parcel tax. Annual inspections typically begin in spring. If a parcel fails, the owner receives a correction notice with 30 days to abate. Non-compliance results in forced abatement at owner expense and administrative fines.
Specific penalty amounts for this ordinance are not published in a publicly accessible fine schedule. Contact Oakland code enforcement directly for current fines, enforcement procedures, and hearing options.
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