Sacramento County, CA Fire Regulations: Brush Clearance (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- PRC 4291 / Gov. Code 51182
- Defensible space standard
- 100 ft around structures (or to property line)
- Zones
- Zone 0 (0-5 ft), Zone 1 (5-30 ft), Zone 2 (30-100 ft)
- 2025 Very High zone in county
- ~1,267 acres (south/southeast)
- 2025 Moderate zone in county
- ~60,000 acres (incl. near Rancho Cordova, Mather, Folsom)
- First-violation fine
- Typically $100 (up to $500 subsequent)
Summary
Property owners in or near mapped fire hazard zones must maintain defensible space under California Public Resources Code Section 4291. The standard is 100 feet of clearance around structures (or to the property line). Sacramento County's 2025 CAL FIRE maps added Moderate, High, and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones in south, southeast, and east county areas.
(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
California Public Resources Code Section 4291 requires owners of buildings in or adjacent to State Responsibility Area land, and Government Code Section 51182 requires owners in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones within the Local Responsibility Area, to maintain defensible space - generally 100 feet around each structure, or to the property line if closer. CAL FIRE's defensible-space framework uses zones: Zone 0 (the ember-resistant 0-5 foot zone, being phased in under AB 3074 and SB 504 amendments to PRC 4291), Zone 1 (5-30 feet, lean and clean), and Zone 2 (30-100 feet, reduced fuel).
The 2025 CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps (released in phases February through March 2025) added designations in Sacramento County: roughly 1,267 acres of Very High and more than 2,000 acres of High zones, primarily in south and southeast Sacramento near the Amador and San Joaquin county lines, plus about 60,000 acres of Moderate zone including areas around Rancho Cordova, Mather Airport, and near Folsom. Much of Sacramento County is low-lying valley floor with low fire hazard, so most parcels are not in a mapped FHSZ; owners should confirm their status using CAL FIRE's address-search map tool. Where a parcel is mapped, the local fire agency (often Sacramento Metro Fire) inspects defensible space, typically annually.
Violations & Fines
Defensible space violations under PRC Section 4291 / Government Code Section 51182 are infractions, commonly cited at $100 for a first violation up to $500 for subsequent violations, and the local fire agency may abate non-compliant vegetation and place the cost as a lien on the property. Repeated non-compliance can escalate enforcement. Inspections are typically conducted by the responsible fire district.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need 100 feet of defensible space in Sacramento County?
What are the defensible space zones?
Did Sacramento County get new fire hazard zones?
Who enforces defensible space?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sacramento County
California rules heatmap·Compare Sacramento County to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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