San Bernardino, CA Fire Regulations: Brush Clearance (2026)
Key Facts
- Legal authority
- California PRC 4291 defensible space law
- Clearance distance
- 100 ft around structures in VHFHSZ areas
- Zone 0 rule
- 0 to 5 ft ember-resistant zone required under AB 3074
- Inspection window
- Annual hazard inspections April through June
- Non-compliance
- County abates and liens property for work plus admin fees
Summary
Foothill Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone properties must maintain 100 feet of defensible space under California PRC 4291. San Bernardino County Fire conducts annual hazard inspections each spring.
4291. (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 [...]. Fuels shall be maintained and spaced in a condition so that a wildfire would be unlikely to ignite the 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 [...]. For purposes of this subparagraph, ''fuel'' means any combustible material, including petroleum-based products, cultivated landscape plants, grasses, and weeds, and wildland vegetation. (B) A greater distance than that required under subparagraph (A) may be required by state law, local ordinance, rule, or regulation. Fuel modification beyond the property line may only be required by state law, local ordinance, rule, or regulation in order to maintain 100 feet of defensible space from a structure. [...] (2) Remove that portion of a tree that extends within 10 feet of the outlet of a chimney or stovepipe.
Full Breakdown
Large portions of northern San Bernardino, including the foothill neighborhoods below the San Bernardino National Forest, are mapped by CAL FIRE as Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (VHFHSZ). Within these zones, California Public Resources Code Section 4291 requires property owners to create and maintain 100 feet of defensible space around every habitable structure. The 100-foot zone is divided into two parts. Zone 1 runs from the structure out 30 feet and must be kept lean, clean, and green, with dead vegetation removed, lawns mowed to four inches or less, and tree limbs trimmed six feet above the ground.
Zone 2 extends from 30 feet to 100 feet and may retain native vegetation, but brush must be thinned so horizontal spacing equals twice the height of the plant, and tree canopies must be separated by at least 10 feet. Assembly Bill 3074, signed in 2020, added a new Zone 0 ember-resistant zone from zero to five feet, which CAL FIRE began enforcing through regulations adopted in 2023 and 2024. Zone 0 must be free of combustible materials including wood mulch, dead plants, wood fencing attached to the home, and stored firewood.
The San Bernardino County Fire Protection District conducts annual Hazard Abatement inspections each April through June. Failure to comply triggers a Notice to Abate; if the owner does not clear the hazard, the county performs the work and bills the property at cost plus administrative fees, which can become a lien.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all San Bernardino properties need 100-foot clearance?
What is Zone 0 and when does it apply?
What happens if I miss the inspection deadline?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Bernardino
California rules heatmap·Compare San Bernardino to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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Brush Clearance in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle brush clearance.