Kern County requires 30 feet of clearance of all non-ornamental combustibles around every structure and a total 100 feet of fuel reduction, enforced annually by the Kern County Fire Department under Ordinance Code Chapter 8.46. Properties in State Responsibility Areas must complete clearance by June 1 each year.
The Kern County Fire Department administers the Hazard Reduction Program under Kern County Ordinance Code Chapter 8.46 (Weeds and Other Hazardous Growths), which requires owners and persons in charge of residential units, businesses, and vacant lots in unincorporated Kern County to keep premises free of excessive accumulations of weeds and other hazardous growths. KCFD's published clearance standards require a 30-foot clearance of all non-ornamental combustibles and vegetation (including wood piles) around all structures, a total 100-foot fuel reduction around all structures, removal of trees and limbs within 10 feet of stovepipe and chimney outlets, removal of dead limbs overhanging or adjacent to structures, clearing roofs of combustible vegetation, a 10-foot clearance of combustible material around LPG and fuel tanks, and a minimum 10-foot clearance along property lines that encroach on the 100-foot defensible space of adjacent structures. Property owners in State Responsibility Areas must complete clearance by June 1 annually, before fire-season inspections, and are expected to keep properties clear of fire hazards year-round. State defensible-space law (Government Code section 51182 and Public Resources Code section 4291) independently requires 100 feet of defensible space in SRA and designated fire hazard severity zones.
KCFD inspects properties and issues citations for violations found. The cited owner has 15 calendar days from the citation mailing date to correct the violation (or submit a Request for Review with time-stamped photos); the fine is removed if corrections are completed and submitted within the 15-day window. Administrative penalties are enforced under Kern County Ordinance Code Chapter 8.54, and the county may abate hazards and collect abatement costs under Chapter 8.46.
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