El Paso County, CO Fire Regulations: Brush Clearance (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum clearance
- 30 ft from structures
- Trigger
- Wildland Fire Hazard Mitigation Plan
- Slash removal
- before final building inspection
- Road slash zone
- 150 ft from centerline
Summary
When a Wildland Fire and Hazard Mitigation Plan requires a fuel modification area, El Paso County's Land Development Code compels landowners to clear ground fuels and dead vegetation within at least 30 feet of structures.
When the Wildland Fire Risk and Hazard Mitigation Plan requires establishment of a fuel modification area: The modifications shall extend at least 30 feet from structures; Ground fuels within the defined defensible space shall be treated or removed; Live vegetation within the defensible space shall have dead material removed and shall be thinned and pruned.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Land Development Code: Supplement 3 | Drainage Criteria Manual: Publication | Engineering Criteria Manual: Supplement 3 | Ordinances: Reformat).
Full Breakdown
Once a Wildland Fire Risk and Hazard Mitigation Plan calls for a fuel modification area, the Land Development Code requires the modifications to extend at least 30 feet from structures, ground fuels within that defensible space to be treated or removed, and live vegetation to have dead material removed, thinned, and pruned. Dead or downed fuels near buildings must be removed or treated, and slash may have to be cleared within 150 feet of new road centerlines before the county accepts the road, plus near home sites before final building inspection.
Violations & Fines
Skipping required fuel modification or leaving slash near home sites or new roads is enforced as a zoning violation and can block final building inspection or county acceptance of a subdivision road.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must brush be cleared from a structure in unincorporated El Paso County?
Must slash be cleared before construction finishes?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Paso County
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