Solano County, CA Fire Regulations: Brush Clearance (2026)

In the State Responsibility Area (SRA) - which covers much of the wildfire-prone western hills near Vacaville, English Hills, and Green Valley - CAL FIRE LNU enforces California Public Resources Code 4291, requiring 100 feet of defensible space around every building or structure (or to the property line). CAL FIRE structures this as three zones: Zone 0 (0-5 feet, the 'ember-resistant zone' kept free of combustible materials, plants, and debris), Zone 1 (5-30 feet, the 'lean, clean, and green' zone with dead vegetation removed and plants well spaced), and Zone 2 (30-100 feet, the 'reduced fuel' zone with grass mowed, ladder fuels removed, and horizontal/vertical spacing between plants). PRC 4291 also requires removing dead branches overhanging the roof, clearing leaves and needles from roofs and gutters, and maintaining a spark arrester on chimneys. On February 24, 2025, the Office of the State Fire Marshal released updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps for Solano County's Local Responsibility Area (LRA); the County began enforcing building requirements in the unincorporated LRA in 2025, while SRA requirements continued unchanged. Local fire districts and the County may have weed-abatement programs requiring removal of dead and dry vegetation. The 2020 LNU Lightning Complex - which burned 41,776 acres and destroyed or damaged 854 structures in Solano County - underscores why these clearances are enforced.