Salinas, CA Fire Regulations: Brush Clearance (2026)

Section 4291 applies to anyone who controls, operates, or maintains a building or structure in the state responsibility area, and the duty runs at all times, not just during fire season. The core requirement is defensible space of 100 feet measured from each side and from the front and rear of the structure, but never beyond your own property line: if your lot line sits closer than that, your obligation stops there. The statute does not demand bare dirt. The standard is that fuels be maintained and spaced so a wildfire would be unlikely to ignite the structure, and the amount of fuel modification required takes account of the flammability of the structure itself, including its building material, building standards, location, and the type of vegetation around it.

In practice the 100 feet divides into two zones. Zone 1, from 0 to 30 feet, is kept lean, clean, and green: dead vegetation removed and trees trimmed. Zone 2, from 30 to 100 feet, focuses on reducing fuel and creating spacing between plants and trees. Properties in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones must maintain the full 100 feet, and local ordinance can require clearance on properties outside those zones as well. The Salinas Fire Department or CAL FIRE conducts annual inspections in fire hazard areas.