Vallejo, CA Fire Regulations: Brush Clearance (2026)

Section 4291 places the clearance duty on a broad group. It is not limited to property owners: a person who leases, controls, operates, or maintains a building or structure in the state responsibility area carries the same obligation, and the statute says the defensible space must be maintained at all times, not just during fire season. The 100 feet is measured from each side and from the front and rear of the structure, but the duty stops at your property line, so you are not required to clear a neighbor's land.

The statute does not demand bare dirt. It requires fuel modification, and the amount necessary depends on the flammability of the structure as affected by its building material, building standards, location, and the type of vegetation around it. The end test is functional: fuels must be maintained and spaced in a condition so that a wildfire would be unlikely to ignite the structure. In practice, Vallejo properties in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones apply the standard in two bands. Zone 1, from 0 to 30 feet, is kept lean, clean, and green, with dead vegetation removed and trees trimmed.

Zone 2, from 30 to 100 feet, focuses on reducing fuel and creating spacing between plants and trees. The Vallejo fire department or CAL FIRE conducts annual inspections in fire hazard areas, and a property that fails to comply may be abated with the cost charged to the owner.