Palo Alto, CA Fire Regulations: Brush Clearance (2026)
Key Facts
- Zone 1
- 0-30 feet, lean and green
- Zone 2
- 30-100 feet, reduced fuel
- Grass height limit
- 4 inches in Zone 2
- Applies to
- Parcels in VHFHSZ (foothills)
- Inspections
- Annual by Palo Alto Fire
Summary
Palo Alto enforces California PRC 4291 defensible space in its Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, requiring 100 feet of vegetation management with stricter rules in the inner 30-foot zone.
(a) A person who owns, leases, controls, operates, or maintains a building or structure in the state responsibility area shall at all times do all of the following:
(1) (A) Maintain defensible space of 100 feet from each side and from the front and rear of the structure, but not beyond the property line, except as provided in subparagraph (B). The amount of fuel modification necessary shall consider the flammability of the structure as affected by building material, building standards, location, and type of vegetation. Fuels shall be maintained and spaced in a condition so that a wildfire would be unlikely to ignite the structure. This subparagraph does not apply to single specimens of trees or other vegetation that are well-pruned and maintained so as to effectively manage fuels and not form a means of rapidly transmitting fire from other nearby vegetation to a structure or from a structure to other nearby vegetation or to interrupt the advance of embers toward a structure. The intensity of fuels management may vary within the 100-foot perimeter of the structure, with more intense fuel reductions being utilized between 5 and 30 feet around the structure, and an ember-resistant zone being required within 5 feet of the structure, based on regulations promulgated by the board, in consultation with the department, to consider the elimination of materials in the ember-resistant zone that would likely be ignited by embers.
(2) Remove that portion of a tree that extends within 10 feet of the outlet of a chimney or stovepipe.
(3) Maintain a tree, shrub, or other plant adjacent to or overhanging a building free of dead or dying wood.
(4) Maintain the roof of a structure free of leaves, needles, or other vegetative materials.
Full Breakdown
Properties in the Palo Alto Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, which includes hillside areas west of I-280 near the foothills and Stanford-adjacent open space, must comply with PRC 4291 defensible space. Zone 1 (0-30 feet from structures) requires removal of all dead vegetation, relocation of combustible materials, trimming of trees so branches are at least 10 feet from chimneys, and removal of dead limbs hanging over roofs. Zone 2 (30-100 feet) requires grass cut to 4 inches or less, horizontal spacing between shrubs and trees based on slope, and removal of fallen leaves and needles over 3 inches deep. Palo Alto Fire inspects annually and issues notices of violation. Ember-resistant Zone 0 (0-5 feet) is being phased in under CAL FIRE regulations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my Palo Alto property in the VHFHSZ?
What happens if I fail inspection?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Palo Alto
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Brush Clearance in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Santa Clara County handle brush clearance.