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

Sutter County is largely flat agricultural valley (rice, orchards, row crops), so most parcels carry a relatively low wildfire hazard. The notable exception is the Sutter Buttes, an isolated volcanic range with grass and brush that does present elevated fire risk. Where structures lie within a State Responsibility Area, California Public Resources Code section 4291 requires owners to maintain 100 feet of defensible space (or to the property line) around each building. CAL FIRE describes this as three zones: Zone 0, the 0-5 foot 'ember-resistant' zone, kept free of combustible mulch, plants, and debris; Zone 1, 5-30 feet, the 'lean, clean and green' zone where dead vegetation, leaves, and needles are removed; and Zone 2, 30-100 feet, where grass is mowed and fuels are thinned and spaced.

CAL FIRE updated its Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps in 2024-2025, and Sutter County is among the North State counties that received new Local Responsibility Area hazard designations, including higher-hazard zones in and around the Sutter Buttes. Beyond wildfire defensible space, tall dry weeds, rubbish, and vegetation that create a fire hazard can be addressed as a public nuisance subject to abatement by the county. Because flat irrigated farmland dominates the county, blanket countywide brush-clearance mandates are limited; obligations are strongest for hillside and Buttes-area parcels. Property owners should confirm whether their parcel falls in a designated hazard zone.