Property owners in the City of Sonoma must maintain 100 feet of defensible space around structures per California Public Resources Code §4291 (in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones) and meet weed abatement standards enforced by the Sonoma Valley Fire District annually. Failure to comply can result in city-conducted abatement with the cost recovered as a property tax lien.
Defensible space in the City of Sonoma is governed by two regimes depending on Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) classification. (1) In Very High FHSZ areas (designated by CAL FIRE under Gov. Code §51178 and updated for Sonoma's LRA on Feb. 24, 2025, adopted by City Council May 7, 2025), Cal. Public Resources Code §4291 requires 100 feet of defensible space: Zone 0 (0–5 ft, ember-resistant), Zone 1 (5–30 ft, 'lean, clean, and green' with vegetation thinned and dead material removed), and Zone 2 (30–100 ft, 'reduced fuels zone' with horizontal/vertical spacing and ladder-fuel removal). (2) In Moderate/High/non-VHFHSZ areas of the city, the Sonoma Municipal Code and Sonoma Valley Fire District's annual Weed Abatement Program apply: dead/dry weeds, grasses, brush, rubbish, and combustible debris must be removed by June 1 each year. SVFD inspectors conduct annual inspections; non-compliant parcels receive a Notice to Abate.
If a property fails the first inspection, the owner has 30 calendar days to come into compliance. If it fails a second inspection, the owner has 15 days to request a hearing or comply. After a hearing, owners have 10 business days to comply or the Fire District/City will contract for abatement and charge the costs back to the owner via a special assessment on the property tax bill (Cal. Gov. Code §39580–39588). Administrative fines for City of Sonoma code violations escalate $100/$200/$500 under SMC §1.20.010, and PRC §4291 violations are punishable by fines up to $500 per Cal. PRC §4021.
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