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

California Public Resources Code (PRC) 4291 requires owners of buildings in State Responsibility Areas — which covers most unincorporated Amador County land in the Sierra foothills and mountains — to maintain defensible space for 100 feet around each structure (or to the property line). CAL FIRE breaks this into zones: Zone 1 (0–30 feet) must be kept lean, clean and green, with grass and weeds cut low and dead vegetation removed; Zone 2 (30–100 feet) requires reduced and spaced fuels, with annual grass mowed to a maximum height of 4 inches and tree limbs cleared at least 6 feet from the ground. A spark arrester is required on each chimney. CAL FIRE's Amador-El Dorado Unit employs defensible-space inspectors who perform LE-100 inspections to PRC 4291 standards throughout AEU jurisdiction. Separately, Amador County Code Chapter 7.32 directs property owners to clear flammable material to a distance of not less than fifteen feet from the exterior walls of buildings and structures and regulates burning of brush, logs, stumps, fallen timber and other inflammable materials between May 1 and the date the Director of Forestry declares hazardous fire conditions have abated. The Amador Fire Safe Council and local fire districts assist with home-hardening and clearance guidance.