Oakland, CA Fire Regulations: Brush Clearance (2026)

Brush clearance in Oakland is governed by California Public Resources Code §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, 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 (0–5 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 (5–30 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 (30–100 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.