Santa Clarita, CA Fire Regulations: Brush Clearance (2026)
Key Facts
- Authority
- LA County Fire Department
- Notice
- Annual clearance notices mailed
- VHFHSZ
- Enhanced building standards
- Contact
- LACFD Brush Unit (626) 969-2375
Summary
LACFD sends annual brush clearance notices to Santa Clarita residents in Fire Hazard Severity Zones. Development in VHFHSZ requires enhanced fire safety standards.
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, 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
Santa Clarita's outer perimeters and surrounding unincorporated areas are in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones per the California Fire Marshal's map. The LA County Fire Department's brush clearance program requires property owners in fire hazard zones to maintain defensible space. Standard clearance is 100 feet from structures and 10 feet along roads. Enhanced clearance up to 200 feet may be required in the highest-risk zones. Firefighters visit homes annually to inspect vegetation compliance. If issues are identified, homeowners receive notices and must comply within 30 days. Grass must be cut to 3 inches or less. Trees must be limbed up one-third of their height. Dead or neglected landscaping must be removed. The LA County Fire Department Brush Clearance Unit can be reached at (626) 969-2375.
Violations & Fines
Non-compliance: fines up to $1,400. LA County will hire outside contractors to clear the vegetation at the property owner's expense. Costs become a lien on the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much brush clearance is required in Santa Clarita?
How is brush clearance enforced in Santa Clarita?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Clarita
California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Clarita to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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Brush Clearance in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle brush clearance.