Tulare Municipal Code Chapter 3.22 (HAZARD/WEED ABATEMENT) makes it the duty of every property owner to keep parcels free of dry weeds, brush, rubbish and other fire hazards. The Tulare Fire Department's Prevention Bureau inspects city parcels annually, posts notice, and may abate at owner expense (lien) if not corrected. The city is not in a CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zone, so PRC 4291's 100-foot defensible-space rule does not directly apply, but TMC Ch. 3.22 is the local equivalent.
Under TMC Ch. 3.22 (the local Hazard/Weed Abatement chapter), property owners must abate weeds, dry grass, dead brush, accumulated combustible rubbish, and other fire hazards on their parcels. The Fire Marshal/Code Enforcement issues a Notice to Abate; if not cured within the stated period (typically 10–30 days), the city contracts for abatement and bills the owner via a special assessment lien on the property tax roll under Cal. Gov. Code § 39501 et seq. The City of Tulare's Code Enforcement and Fire Prevention Bureau coordinate this program, noting that dried vegetation creates fire hazard and overgrown green vegetation harbors vermin. Tulare sits on the San Joaquin Valley floor in an LRA (Local Responsibility Area) and is not mapped as Moderate/High/Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone in the 2025 CAL FIRE LRA FHSZ rollout — so the state PRC 4291 100-foot defensible space rule does not directly apply within city limits. The municipal weed-abatement program is the operative requirement.
Failure to abate after notice authorizes the city to abate and recover costs as a tax lien on the property under TMC Ch. 3.22 and Cal. Gov. Code § 39501 et seq. Repeat or egregious cases may be charged as a public nuisance under TMC § 7.28.030. Cost recovery typically includes mowing/disposal cost plus administrative overhead.
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